


DON'T FORGET THAT ICARUS FLEW.

by orpheusaki



Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: A retelling of the exile arc and the effects of manipulation on Tommy, A story of redemption and family healing, And how this effects others, Angst with a Happy Ending, Big Brother Techno to the rescue!, Dave | Technoblade and Wilbur Soot and TommyInnit are Siblings, Dave | Technoblade-centric, Dream is a menace, Gen, God Techno, as per usual, lore heavy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:15:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 23,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27984426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orpheusaki/pseuds/orpheusaki
Summary: Techno feels his blood boil, the once crystal blues of Tommy's eyes dulling into a monochromatic grey. This wasn't right. This wasn't what was supposed to happen."Hi Techno," he mumbles, voice meek and afraid, "Miss me?"The Blood God stares indifferently at his younger brother, or what seems to be the decaying bodied shell of the once rebellious and youthful boy, but his head is pounding and the voices are screaming to get rid of the problem that's causing Tommy so much harm.Dream.Or;The day before and the days that follow Tommy's exile; told through the eyes of The Blood God.
Relationships: Clay | Dream & Dave | Technoblade, Clay | Dream & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Dave | Technoblade & Phil Watson, Dave | Technoblade & TommyInnit
Comments: 274
Kudos: 2768





	1. INSATIABLE GODs

**Author's Note:**

> its half past one, but watching tommy slowly fall into the hands of dream's plans has evoked a new feeling of injustice i have never quite felt, and thus, i propose to you; Big Brother Techno coming along to save the day. sort of.
> 
> Please note !  
> This is all a work of fiction, and these characters are simply that. Not to be correlated with their real life creators. The villains and heroes in this story and not to be projected in real life.  
> While this fic is technically uploading canonically side by side with the actual plot streams, and they will proceed in that timeline, some obvious changes have been made to fit my specific ending.

Techno was never close to Tommy growing up.

Well, not as close as Wilbur was. Or Phil. Or Tubbo. Or anyone else really.

Tommy was somewhat of a social butterfly, only less harmless and dainty and more careless and boisterous. So perhaps… not a butterfly at all but some sort of mutant insect that had a penchant for being incredibly _annoying_ given the opportunity.

He had that uncanny ability to feed off the enthusiasm of others, find their dreams and ambitions and somehow implanting himself in the mix of it all — strapping in for the joy ride. He could start and hold conversations with strangers they met in the villages and animals they found in the forest; empathising with the villains and heroes alike. Seemingly aware of all the darkness in the world, bit simply opting to disregard it in the name of _fun._

He was a threat in that sense; but not in the same way the others were.

Wilbur had been a threat since the day they were born; always a step ahead and just when you think you've caught up — he's suddenly further then you first anticipated. Techno's known for a while that as enemies, they're like fire on fire; but as partners, they could be a raging storm. What Wilbur lacks in strength he makes up in progression and mind; but that's also why he fell. A mind so wondrous and open is vulnerable to diseases and morphed realities.

Plagued, his mind with selfish greed of human desire and possession, he fell and fell and  _ fell _ . Collapsed head first into the inescapable void with the place he first created.

Phil was also an overbearing threat in Technos life; far more powerful and capable than he let's off. He's still not entirely sure what his father  _ is  _ let alone what he could  _ do _ — but what differs him from Wilbur, is that Phil is the only thing in Technos life that he can control. The only person he's sure would never raise a sword against him, because why would he? He's had plenty of chances to kill Techno, and he still does. But he won't.

He's a fixed, set in stone factor of Techno's life; just like Wilbur was. He could understand them, squint and see what they saw.

Which is why Tommy possesses the biggest threat of them all.

Techno has  _ no idea  _ what Tommy is capable of. What Tommy sees and what he  _ doesn't _ see.

He's not even a  _ god  _ let alone a creature like Phil — he's just a boy. A mortal boy; who can't fight that well, who doesn't use his head but rather his gut, whose loyalties are so fiercely strong that they might as well be physical red ribbons tying him down to the ground. He's a ticking time bomb; unpredictable and, quite frankly, an idiot. He's not particularly amazing at anything;

_ Yet. _

And that's what makes him terrifying.

"He has the  _ potential  _ to be great," Techno murmurs gently to his horse, Percy (since the others, for now, are back in the place he's sure he's not yet welcomed, or ever will be) the crunching of snow louder than his words; as if he spoke them any louder someone would overhear. Which is ridiculous, given he's traveled further than any mortal on this word could even dream to. "He has so much potential."

Percy neighs in indignation when Techno urges him forward, somehow sensing that this particular spot is where he should touch base. The distant smell of bread and smoke indicating a snow village not too far for resources and trade.

Techno sighs halfheartedly, letting his horse trot into a slow pace before he stops beside a small patch of grass that's grown through the snow, a little white rabbit grazing on it harmlessly. He hoists himself up and off the horse, feels the satisfying crunch of freshly fallen snow beneath his boots and a sudden rush of cool air blow through his braided hair, little wisps of it tickling his cheeks and ears.

"I used to think Tommy could've been a God," he continues, running a hand carelessly through Percy's silky mane, "Something like, a Forest Deity or… or a God of Loyalty. He just seemed so bizarre to be human."

Techno chuckles, "I was almost disappointed when he turned out to be mortal like Wilbur. Mortals are so fragile… so easily swayed by emotions. Boring."

Percy shakes his head out of Techno's hands, like he's disagreeing, which only humours the Blood God even more.

"It's true, Tommy has this fire in him. Like he's one flint and steel away from burning the entire world to the ground. And he could do it, if he tried," Techno's voice drops a little, the edges growing softer as the words mix in with the wind, "I would burn it down for him if he asked."

The words are gone almost immediately, flying away in the wind like they had never been spoken in the first place.

"We never got along because he never knew when to stop." Techno continues, grabbing the horse's lead and gently pulling him towards the grass to graze on, "Whether it was playing games or joking around. He would keep going and going and —"

Percy suddenly kicks the grass in front of him, scaring off the little rabbit.

Techno clears his throat, not sure why he's getting so worked up about a brother who hates him more than he hates himself, "He only ever ended up hurting himself more than anyone else. It was pathetic to watch. Such potential wasted on… on  _ feelings _ ."

_ If he had been a God, life would have been easier for him.  _ Techno thinks, once again with a sense of disappointed detachment, "He grew up too quickly with no clear purpose as to why, but for some reason strung along that childish stubbornness with the trauma."

**_He's just like you_ ** , he hears someone that sounds a lot like Wilbur before all the screaming and gunpowder got to his head, but not as soft as the half alive but mostly dead Wilbur that follows Tommy around now,  _**he sounds like a version of you that is destined for failure. You could help him**. _

Techno frowns, "Regardless, he's still just a mortal boy. I could kill him easily. I  _ can _ kill him." 

Percy scoffs as he eats the grass, and Techno rolls his eyes, turning to his quickly packed bags to start unloading their base supplies;

"Yeah yeah, I know I won't kill him."

And that's what makes him terrifying.

* * *

"You're moping again."

Techno doesn't startle, but if he had the ability to do so, the sudden sound of Phil's calming voice might have made him jump — of course if not for the fact that Techno could hear every little sound that ran through the general area around him. His ears would twitch at even the smallest thumps of a foxes paw against the snow, and the drumming of Phil's footsteps in their —  _ his  _ — Antarctic house was not much different.

He frowns however, not turning to face the man, "I don't mope."

"Then what do you call sitting by the window with such a dejected expression?"

"I'm," Techno thinks for a moment, pursing his lips, "I'm thinking."

He still hasn't turned to face Phil, and Phil makes no move to try and show himself, but Techno imagines the ever so wise and thoughtful expression on his  _ fathers  _ face; one he often had when dealing with Techno.

Afterall, he was never like his other brothers. He wasn't as open with his feelings as Wilbur, or as expressive and animated with them as Tommy; instead he moulded himself around them, became one with the emotions and their actions.

(But then again, he was never  _ mortal  _ like them either; at least he and Phil could bond over that).

It was always hard for Techno to tell others how he felt, particularly when it was obvious that sedating the ever growing blood lust that came with being the Blood God was simply out of the question — and regardless of that, Phil had found himself still ponderous about the mind of his son, no matter how many years had passed or how many wars he had fought.

Because in his head, he was still a little piglin boy with too big glasses, a quiet demeanour and a penchant for wooden sword fighting.

"What are you thinking about?" Phil asks carefully, voice calm and undetectable in nature, as harmless and neutral as a butterfly.

Techno's vaguely aware that Phil's attempting to ease him into talking about his thoughts, but he's too… mentally distracted to care too much. While fighting and encouraging war and death and  _ destruction  _ is basically in his job description; he's never felt so conflicted in the morality of doing so. The constant need to check back with  _ friends  _ was new and a hindrance during war, and the after effects of caring about people who didn't reciprocate such emotions was starting to take a toll on him.

It was easier when it was just him and his horse, much easier when his brothers didn't care about him and he didn't care about them. Easier before art of war blurred the lines between need and want.

Phil is still waiting for an answer, and Techno hesitates. But he'll allow it, just this once.

It's the least he can do, after separating their family again.

"I was wondering about how he was doing." Techno replies curtly and simply, not offering anymore.

Phil's breath catches in his throat, "Who?"

The air is as thick as it is cold and quiet, the question layed out purposefully between them, like an overbearing anchor. Techno's too far in the water to back out now, unable to simply walk away from this situation. It feels disrespectful to even try.

He sighs, shifting his red cape lines with white fur, "Tommy."

"You're… worried about him? About _Tommy_?' Phil asks in somewhat disbelief.

Given their last interaction, the hatred pooling like blood in both their eyes as Wilbur's dripped onto the ground; Philza didn't think any of his boys thought about each other in good faith. Especially now.

"Yeah, yeah I am."

Phil's no fool, he  _ knows  _ his family was never destined for smooth sailing across the sea of life. He  _ knew  _ that. They were all too different yet exactly the same, fire burning with fire that only grows bigger and bigger, eating everything in its path. They were a group of too prideful, too emotional and too loyal boys; repelling from one another like magnets.

"Don't get excited now," Techno drawls sarcastically, "I'm not going to go swoop down and save him from his inevitable demise."

Phil's eyebrows shoot up to his head, "He's in trouble? Already?"

"Not yet," Techno mutters, closing his eyes as he let's the cold air seep into his bones, L'manberg and Pogtopia were always quite warm, "But he will be soon. It's Tommy after all."

"But Tubbo's president now, he has the power of the people on his side."

Cold and ice has always been a bit of an odd experience for Techno; having never experienced it until he left home in search of his true powers — and it was obvious it wasn't the best environment for him. He felt lethargic and numb, too heavy to move and even heavier to fight;

It was dangerous, being so vulnerable. But it was also exhilarating, being so close to death he could feel it in the bitter cold.

It was a retirement of sorts.

"The thing about us Gods is that we have a calling, each one of us possessing something different. Something insatiable that warrants constant attention and actions. And Although Tommy may be a mortal… well," Techno grins, turning his head to show his canine off to Phil, who watches in astonishment, "He's still my brother. He can't stay well behaved for  _ too _ long."

  
  


Later that day, Tommy burns down George's home.

Techno laughs when Phil tells him, but he already knew. Could already feel the beating of the fire against his skin from thousands of miles away. It was exhilarating, imagining the high pitched laughs and unadulterated joy Tommy probably emitted by simply  _ being a kid. _

Granted, becoming an arsonist isn't the best way to harness your newly developing moral compass against authority (not that Techno's one to talk, given the events a few days before hand), it was still absolutely hilarious. Besides, Tommy was protesting (a loose term, really) against the monarchy. Techno was almost teary with pride.

But then came along Dream; God of War and Chaos. Also a  _ huge  _ pain in the ass.


	2. LOVE THY ENEMIEs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laughing incredibly stupidly, Dream kicks his legs over the edge of the cliff in joy, "Oh come on. Don't tell me big brother Techno is here to tell me off for messing with his little bro?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uhm ?? so i got about four hundred kudos in like... less than 12 hours ??? welcome ????
> 
> you're all very valid and important and i hope you know that you're loved ! here's a bit of a longer chapter in thanks of all the support and wonderful comments <3

"Exile, huh?"

Techno watches as Dream's shoulders begin to shake with silent laughter, the amusement slowly building up in his chest. He is sat on top of the cliff, legs dangling off the edge and axe placed haphazardly to his sides, mask slightly tilted.

It's been many,  _ many  _ years and many  _ many  _ lives the two Gods have spent together, back when mortals were useless little creatures who required the assistance of gods to enchant armour. And now, as animals do, they've evolved to create weapons and golden coated food without ever knowing gods walk among them.

Techno's never felt the need to hide that particular aspect of him, often using it to his advantage. It keeps people away, whether they believe or not, the title of God is looming and mysterious to most mortals. But Dream — Dream's more subtle. He walks among them, befriends them, loves them and hates them far deeper than any other God Techno has ever seen.

But Dream's also much older than Techno, though he doesn't act like it. Sometimes, The Blood God thinks that, perhaps, Dream created the world. But whenever he brings this up, Dream will wheeze loudly and laugh even louder, teleporting away by barely even raising a finger.

Regardless of how annoying that may be, and how much of an arrogant prick Techno thinks Dream is; there's a mutual understanding of trust between them. There is no betrayal or backstabbing, not when you're both deities of War and Chaos and Blood and all things destruction. They're linked in that aspect, forever cursed with carrying the burden of each other's crimes.

A trust that's survived many centuries.

If they fight on the same side, they'll win together, if they fight on opposite sides, they'll watch the other fall. If they're tasked with killing one another, they'll set up a time and date and a lovely location to pass over — and the other will make sure the body is properly prepared. In every life, this stands unspoken.

And through this trust, lies the true features of Dreams face. Everyone has a weakness, even Gods like Dream and himself; and while Techno isn't entirely sure on what his is yet, he knows Dream doesn't only wear the mask for the theatrics.

His mask is lifted for the sun to grace it, the cool breeze matched with the heat beating down on him; but Techno doesn't move any closer to confront him. Not when he could potentially see Dream's face and shatter the glass that connects the two of them.

Laughing incredibly stupidly, Dream kicks his legs over the edge of the cliff in joy, "Oh come on. Don't tell me big brother Techno is here to tell me off for messing with his little bro?"

"Why would I do that?" Techno hums, lazily thumbing the handle of his axe, "I think this is exactly what Tommy needs."

Dreams laughter begins to dissipate, but there is still a smile to his words, "What? He needed me to turn all his friends against him and exile him from the only home he's ever known?"

"Yes."

"Wow, and I thought  _ I  _ was being evil."

"I mean, granted, I did think you were being overly dramatic." Techno mumbles, and Dream gasps in mock-offence, "I could hear you shouting all the way from the Antarctic."

"He burnt down George's house! He spent so much time on it!"

Dream pulls his mask over his face, and begins to stand, patting down the invisible dust off his trousers, and Techno finally relaxes, walking forward to stand by his side on the cliff's edge. The air in Dream's land is cold, but not as cold as Techno's, but it looks over a place rebuilt with love and care. L'manberg is thriving, growing and healing — and Tommy's being forced out.

_ It's what he needs, _ he tells himself, _ a wake up call. Heroes never win. _

Techno frowns, "We both know that's not why you're trying to exile Tommy. You've never cared about your team being griefed before."

Dream chuckles, although it doesn't sound as warm as usual, "You know, it's really annoying when your enemy knows you better than your friends."

The Blood Gods frown deepens, "We're not enemies, not right now at least."

"Oh! So we're friends?"

"Absolutely not."

"... best friends?"

"Never, not in this life or any lifetime to come."

"Ouch, you wound me." His dirty blonde hair is sticking out awkwardly and flying everywhere as the wind picks up, the bottom wisps of it tucked beneath a folded green hood. Dream runs a hand through the messy tussle of hair, trying to keep it at bay, and at that moment Techno's incredibly glad he let Phil braid his hair tightly and pin it all down for when they were sparring that same morning. "Regardless, whether that was the reason or not, I'm excited to see how much it  _ hurts _ him."

Techno's sighs uncomfortably , "Don't make it sound like he's going to  _ die _ ."

"Oh, I don't know," Dream grins cheekily, tilting his to the side mockingly as his axe twirls in his palm, "He might."

This particular comment doesn't sit well with Techno. But not because he doesn't want Tommy to die, after all, he's mortal. He'll die one day. But unlike him and Dream — he won't come back.

"Ooh," Dream sings, "Did I hit a nerve there, Big brother Techno? I'm only playing around with him! Don't look so constipated."

Techno ignores the others immature words, but his frown remains, as the prospect of Tommy dying anytime soon leaves a bad taste in his mouth; because Tommy has  _ potential  _ to be great. To be greater than Dream. To be greater than Wilbur. To be greater than  _ him.  _ A tiger cub is practically defenceless against a hyena, but cubs don't stay vulnerable forever — and if given the chance to grow, then the hyena stands no chance.

But it all means nothing if the big bad Dream plays a little too rough with the unsuspecting young.

(  _ Techno suddenly feels an irrational need to put a dent in Dream's ego, to make sure he knows who he's dealing with. The voices are loud and infuriated, pounding against the base of his skull. _ )

"If you see him after he's sent away, can you tell him something for me?" Techno mumbles quietly instead, half hoping Dream doesn't even catch it but mostly worried about how much Dream is going to make fun of him once he  _ does  _ hear.

He's proven right when Dream's smile grows, but he says nothing.

Techno sighs defeatedly again, wondering if Dream would even do as he's asked — given he doesn't have the greatest track record for following instructions — "Just… just tell him it's not his time to die yet."

That catches the God of Chaos and War off guard, and while Techno can't see his face properly, the mask moves up at an angle and he imagines dream raising an eyebrow in surprise, "What's this? The Blood God getting soft? I thought you didn't care about others."

Techno doesn't answer, doesn't feel any need to try and justify something even  _ he  _ doesn't understand; but before he can find a way to escape quickly and unscathed, Dream hums philosophically, as if having worked out a hidden mystery.

"But that was before you had a family, right? You've never had a Phil or a Tommy or… a Wilbur."

Techno purses his lips, hands balled into a fist by his side. He's right, he  _ is  _ going soft. It's leaving room for vulnerability. The weights are slipping and Techno's at a disadvantage.

(  _ Kill him, Kill him,  _ **_Kill him_ ** _. Get rid of him. He'll hurt Tommy and then Phil and then Wilbur and finally, after making you watch it all; he'll hurt you. _ )

"And you've never had a George or Sapnap." Techno bites, unable to let this scale throw him way off balance, "But I hear that's not going well."

Annoyingly Dream doesn't seem phased in the slightest, only laughs condescending, "Like you can talk, you tried to kill half your family, like, three days. They hate you."

"Not Phil." Techno murmurs, mostly to himself, calming down by simply reassuring himself of his father's name. Dream inhales sharply through his nose.

"Yeah," Dream sounds disappointed at the sudden emotions the nonchalant God is projecting, "Yeah. Not Phil."

This is probably where Techno should apologise for bringing up Dreams seeming deteriorating friendships; but then again, Dream  _ had  _ threatened his… family first.

But it should be okay for now, since Dream knows that if he purposely were to interfere with any of them out of spite; The Blade wouldn't hesitate before massacring a certain George and Sapnap. It was more a moral obligation than a personal one.

Techno sees the moment the mutually threatening message hits Dream, as he straightens up, hand itching to grab his weapon, "Okay. I'll tell him… but why don't you just do it? Surely you'll see him again."

"Ha, I don't think he'll want to talk to me anytime soon. And if we do, we definitely won't be speaking about things like this."

Dreams grinning again, that prick, "Oh come on, a pep talk from big brother Techno is probably a  _ dream _ come true. I would love it."

"Why are you so obsessed with that?"

"What, big brother Techno?"

Techno groans, and Dream laughs, patting him on the back as he wheezes,

"It's just so funny! Not in a million years did I think you would be born into a family! That normally doesn't happen to Gods." He continues, laughter still on his lips, "I've always been dropped off in orphanages or a random forest."

"But that's where you met your friends. I thought you considered them family."

"But they're not my  _ family,  _ family."

Techno debates whether or not he should clarify that he too, isn't blood related to anyone in his family. But then again, neither is Tommy; but he's never used that as an excuse. They fight all the time, but not once has anyone, not Phil or Wilbur or Tommy, ever used Techno's lack of blood relations to isolate him. It's quite the opposite really, they seem to be adamant to use the fact that he  _ is  _ their brother to fight him more.

—

_ "You're the worst brother ever!" Tommy would scream, barely five years old and beyond upset for having been left behind on a hunt. _

_ Techno would roll his eyes, sharpening the small daggers Phil had loaned to him, "I'm not even your real brother, so I don't care." _

_ Immediately after that, Tommy looked like Techno had just announced his death and burst into tears, before running back into the house, his high pitched and squeaky voice crying, "Phil! Phil! Techno said he's not my brother! He's such a poopyhead! I hate him! Phil! Tell Techno he's my brother!" _

_ Wilbur always pissed himself with laughter whenever this happened, and Techno made a childish promise not to fight with Tommy ever again. _

_ That lasted about three days, but it's the thought that counts. Techno never said he wasn't Tommy's brother ever again. _

—

Before he can ponder on it more, Percy neighs loudly from the bottom of the hill, sending a shrill call of conclusion upon the two Gods.

Dream withdrawals his hand, giving Techno a lazy salute, "Well then, until next time Mr. Blade. Stay out of trouble, unless you want to play with me too."

"I'm fine. Just remember to —"

"Yeah yeah," he waves him off, pulling out an enderpearl from who knows where, "I'll let Tommy know."

And with that, he throws it behind him without even looking for wear it lands and vanishes. Techno stands atop the cliff for a moment longer, as the purple shimmer slowly dissipates into the air. He lets himself level his breathing and muffle the voices in his head. It's quiet and alone again.

_ Good. _

He turns back around and begins to make his way down the hill.

* * *

  
  


They arrive at the most ungodly hour of the morning the following day, just as the sun begins to rise behind the white mountains, the outraged screams of Tommy and soft spoken words of encouragement from Wilbur — all masked together with Dream's fake-tone of care.

The game's been set in motion.

Techno had already been awake, as there is no real need for sleep for him other than to relax sore muscles, so it doesn't surprise him when the screaming begins. It wakes up half the village though, who come out to investigate with cranky sleep stricken eyes, only for Techno to usher them back in with a stern look.  _ We are not to interfere. _

Techno frowns from his balcony as the situation escalates, displeased that Dream has based them so close to his own house (He doesn't hold it against the other God for doing that on purpose); but even then it would take Tommy at least an hour or two to make it here on the fastest horse, much less any quicker on foot. And that's not even counting all the traps and triggers, or the wards and protections Phil's put around the place to make it harder to find if you didn't know what you were looking for.

Tommy owns nothing to aid him in his search if he were to come knocking for afternoon tea, not when the all too familiar explosion of TNT and unwillingly cries indicates Dream destroys the little belongings his two brothers carried.

Whether Dream had always planned to enforce these strict and palpable rules against Tommy for his exile, or only brought them to light after hearing the slightest bit of concern from Techno (because Dreams clearly a sadist), was unknown. Either way, it was problematic and far too close to his base.

So long as Dream kept his judiciary system and destruction away from Techno's home and village, there would be no need to interfere.

But even so, Techno stands on edge, dressed in his armour and weapons  _ just in case he attacks me,  _ he tells himself, although the reasoning sounds weak even to himself. Instead, he knows that he's waiting for the slightest shift in the story, from where Tommy's screams of outrage become ones of pain. He waits for the  _ attack _ .

It never comes.

He stays, feet frozen solid on his balcony until Dream finally leaves, and he continues to wait until the sun is high up into the sky and Tommy's calmed down.

He signals for Wilbur's exact coordinates (but he could just follow the upset grumbles from Tommy) and decides to pay his dear brothers an unwelcome visit.

* * *

  
  


The reunion goes as well as anyone would have expected.

But all Techno could focus on was that Tommy wasn't even wearing  _ shoes. _

He was trudging through the sand and mud and mining with nothing but the clothes on his back and oddly shaped wooden tools. It was a pathetic sight. Especially after seeing how his glistening netherite armour matched his smile during the war, potions bouncing off of him and laughter rippling through the cross fire, seeing how adamant Tommy had been to use  _ diamond blocks  _ as decor back in pogtopia and —

And now he's left with _nothing_.

Once Techno gets home after making a bullshit reason to leave the little dirt shack his brothers call home, not that either of them were desperate for his company, he paces up and down his own bedroom. The floorboards are creaking as he tries to dig the back of his hooves into them, attempting to channel all his confusion and frustration into one specific part of his body so not to lash out and set his entire village on fire.

He's not sure why he's so stressed out about the sight of his little brother, bruised and bloody with holes in his clothes, shouting insults and hatred at him. The consistency was appreciated if anything, as Techno wouldn't know what to do if Tommy suddenly welcomed him back with wide arms and teary eyes.

But even then, Techno still wasn't sure how to react when Tommy  _ did  _ hate him. This wasn't like before, there's no sitting in a timeout before making amends or sharing toys to diffuse the situation; this about life or death. Tommy blames every small misfortune onto Techno, and honestly? Who's to blame him?

That's how it should be.

Things were going perfectly. Tommy  _ needed _ this sudden shift in reality to understand that being the good guy  _ never saved anyone.  _ Not him. Not his friends. Not Techno.

Being the good guy gets you isolated and exiled, plagued with voices of the dead and the murdering, blood on your hands and back. Being the good guy gets you dropped on a random island with  _ no shoes, Tommy.  _ It was the right path to introduce to his brother.

So why,  _ why _ , was it such a painful sight to witness?


	3. LEAP OF FAITHs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Techno visibly jolts, as if hearing his own words spat back at him snaps him out of a trance. He feels like a weight has just crushed his ribs, stomach flipping inside out because this isn't what he meant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW !  
> implied attempted suicide (tommy lava scene)

"Hi Technoblade!"

Techno smiles at the ground as he tends to the growing ferns and rosemary, just able to faintly hear the gentle rumble of Phil's chuckle not too far behind, "Hello Wilbur."

"And hello Phil!" Wilbur shouts cheerfully to the man dressed in green sitting on the porch with his legs up. The ghost's feet kick up and down excitedly, just barely hovering over the ground, blades of grass tickling his toes. "What a coincidence I must say this is!"

"Not really, given we're all standing in my garden," Techno corrects softly, but the smile on his face doesn't falter as he cheekily adds, "However how  _ you  _ got here is truly a happenstance."

"I just  _ happened _ to be in the area and stumbled upon this lovely place!" Wilbur answers back genuinely, hands clasping together behind his back as he exaggerates his innocence, "It's not like I  _ followed  _ Phil all the way to your house."

"Oh no, that would be ridiculous."

"Truly!"

"Well, nonetheless," Techno sighs, standing a little taller but still not quite tall enough to stand head to head with his flying brother, "You're welcome here whenever you want. Now that you have the coordinates."

Wilbur smiles so brightly that, for a split second, his face seems to saturate itself with colour. Wilbur's never been awfully tanned, not like Techno and Phil, who spend most of their days wasting away in the daylight and moonlight alike, or like Tommy who's developed freckles and golden hair as a result of rolling around in the sun as a child — but Wilbur did always have the nicest glow to him. A lively pink and gold that encased just the right parts of his face, and they became even more prominent when he smiled.

However, death is never a good look on anyone. Techno's never been one for sentiments, but if there's truly something he misses about his brother; it's his colourful disposition. Now, he's a greying and darkening version of himself, like a sketch that never quite got to the stage of completion.

"Oh that's great news!" Wilbur cries joyfully, flying in a little circle around one of Techno's blue spruce bushes, "It's so close to Tommy as well! Now I can visit you both whenever I want."

Techno's smile droops a little, unbeknownst to Wilbur who, bless him, continues gushing excitedly,

"Wouldn't it be nice? All of us back together? I could make us a little cabin! I'm very good at building, I am! I made Tommy a little camping ground and —"

"Do you mind helping me make dinner, Wil?" Phil's voice perfectly cuts through the frosty air, cutting off Wilbur's naivety.

Perhaps that's another thing Techno misses about his dead brother, his ability to just  _ know  _ when something was wrong. Ghostbur's a puzzle missing the vital pieces, the whole picture somehow still comprehensible but the fine details nowhere to be seen.

Wilbur proves this point perfectly by smiling and asking, "Are we invited to dinner?"

The  _ we  _ hangs in the air like a weighted bomb, ticking louder and louder and just  _ waiting  _ for the chance to completely blow up and ruin  _ everything — _

Surprisingly, it's Wilbur who suddenly backtracks on himself, visibly withdrawing and flying a little further away, "Oh no, oh wait. I'm afraid we can't. I don't think Tommy would be allowed."

"Wilbur I —" Techno begins nervously, although exactly  _ what  _ he would've said is lost to him, as suddenly Wilbur looks horrified at even being near them,

"I'm so sorry but I have to go now. Dream will be returning shortly and Tommy's not yet — no no, I must be going. I have to finish building my house you see! Bye Phil!"

Before either of them can get another word in, Wilbur turns on his heel in the middle of the air and heads straight for the forest, the snow beneath him flying up as he rushes past. Techno watches as the snow then floats back to the ground, settling softly as a new layer of white.

Phil sighs behind him, and Techno catches him tiredly rubbing his eyes when he turns back around.

"Come, Techno," Phil mumbles, smiling at his son, although it doesn't quite reach his eyes, standing up and stretching his back, "Help me get the steak ready for dinner."

Techno frowns, but knows not how to fix this mess of a family they've become. So he nods, and follows.

* * *

  
  


The next time Techno runs into Tommy and Dream, it's a complete accident.

Or so he's telling himself, when in actual fact this entire situation  _ could  _ have been avoided if he had just, you know,  _ not cared. _

Phil had mentioned wanting to stock up on more pearls a few days before, and Techno hadn't had anything planned for the remainder of the day after doing his daily farming and village trades — and thus decided to surprise Phil with as many enderpearls as he could. It was the least he could do for him, especially since Phil takes the effort to ward and protect Techno's house  _ and still  _ have the effort to come over every other day to eat mushroom soup.

So the trip to the nether was in order.

That was his first mistake.

His second mistake is that hears the two of them before he sees them.

Or more specifically, he hears Dream first; half way through a conversation Techno didn't know the context about and wasn't planning to stick around to find out. Because he desperately _didn't care._ If he could help it, Techno wouldn't entertain the God of Chaos on his daily miscreants _ever_ , especially when the other God was head first stuck in one of his little _games_. One of which was not his to meddle with.

(  _ "I think this is exactly what Tommy needs," _ )

Techno had already traded for quite a lot of pearls, definitely enough for him and Phil to split and  _ still  _ have too much each and so, the trip was over, time to go home!

And then there was Tommy. Third mistake.

Techno's ears twitch when the familiar voice ripples through the area of fire and lava, loud and distinctive but then, unlike normal, it begins to diminish. It catches him off guard, how the always screaming and laughing boy was suddenly… not laughing nor screaming.

Then again, it's to be expected. He's been  _ exiled _ . That can't be pleasant for a kid who's so used to having everything he's ever wanted just a shout away. Phil had said Tommy hadn't reached out to him yet, or as far as he knew, to  _ anyone  _ from L'manberg yet. Which… is a little strange. Techno assumed Tommy would've begun to plot a dramatic plan to take back his rightful place in his country, or to take down Dream.

Which is why Techno doesn't leave immediately after hearing the two voices together. He didn't think the two of them would be so… civil.

There stands a huge netherrack mountain and lava pool between Techno and the voices, which should serve a physical enough barrier to stop Techno from getting too close. So he waits, casually leaning against the mountain as the pearls in his inventory grow heavier the more he listens into the conversation.

But then the voices fade away. Tommy goes silent, and a consequential chill of dread travels up Techno's spine.

He almost stumbles in his haste to look over the mountain, the lava pool bubbling mockingly below him.  _ What are you doing? Stop climbing!  _ He hears himself think, but his body seems to disagree as the silence prolongs and suddenly Techno is all but sprinting to the top of the mountain.

Once he reaches the peak he ducks down, not wanting to draw attention to himself until he finds out just what in the hell was taking place — but then he freezes.

Tommy is standing on a pathway that leads to the main central hub of portals, the one that leads straight to the SMP. Techno had been so caught up in his harvest for pearls he hadn't even realised how close he had got to Dream's territory, or how close Tommy was to him in  _ general.  _

But what made Techno's arm twitch to the pearls by his side was just how close Tommy was standing to the edge, inching closer and closer and  _ closer to the edge — _

"Tom—!"

He physically catches the name before it leaves his mouth, as suddenly Tommy is pushed away from the ledge by no other than Dream himself, body rigid and breathing harshly.

The two stare at each other in shock, Tommy at his seemingly unconscious actions and Dream, unable to fathom just how quickly he had broken down Tommy's bombastic facade. Techno can't even begin to put words to his swirling mind, screams and shouts rippling through his skin as he watches a pivotal change in the game.

Something dangerous stirs in the back of his mind as Dream's shoulders relax, and he pushes Tommy further away from the edge of the path.

"Tommy…" Dream breaths, still trying proces the situation.

Tommy goes pale in fear, but at what Techno can't quite decipher, "I didn't — I wasn't —"

"It's not your time to die yet, Tommy."

Techno visibly jolts, as if hearing his own words spat back at him snaps him out of a trance. He feels like a weight has just crushed his ribs, stomach flipping inside out because  _ this isn't what he meant. _

It's remarkable, really, how the same words can evoke a whole new feeling by simply altering the context. When Techno asked Dream to tell Tommy  _ it wasn't his time to die yet,  _ he meant that  _ he had so much to live for.  _ So many memories and adventures and new people and a  _ family waiting for him to return  _ to. That Techno was  _ waiting  _ for Tommy to find his true calling. He meant that Tommy shouldn't rush to put himself in harm's way, that he should be methodical and wait and  _ use his gifts. _

But Dream…

By Dream repeating the same words only seconds after Tommy nearly  _ jumped  _ stabs a whole different knife through his chest.  _ It's not your time to die yet, Tommy  _ is not at all what Dream should be saying to Tommy at this moment. It makes him sound like a tool, a livestock simply waiting for an execution date. Dreams contorted words insinuate that Tommy has yet to fulfil his job in this game, and until then, he mustn't choose death.

Techno feels sick.

And to make matters worse by the tenfold, Tommy's blue eyes gloss over, and he mumbles a defeated, "It never is."

_ No.  _ Is that what he wants to cry out, throw a pearl down to them and push Dream away.  _ No,  _ Techno would say again and again as he shakes Tommy out of whatever stupor he's descended into,  _ no no NO! _

But he doesn't,

because this isn't his game to meddle with. Dream has a plan, he has a final outcome in mind and Tommy needs to adapt to it to survive.  _ It's what he needs to grow. _

Survival of the fittest never sounded so cruel before now.

And so he drops to his knees behind the mountain, as the footsteps recede, slowly and quietly back to the portal. He sits there, surrounded by hell fire and a blood soaked mind until he can't hear or  _ think  _ about anything other than his own murderous thoughts.

Techno sits there for a long time, sword gripped tightly in his hands, knuckles white and nails digging into his palm. They bleed.

He sits there until he remembers Phil's coming over for soup tonight, and then he remembers that he's excited to show him the unnecessarily substantial amount of pearls he's collected.

_ Coward,  _ his mind taunts as he makes his way back to the portal, hands bloody and expression like stone.

_ Coward, you left him to die,  _ he hears someone say; but he can't remember why.

Phil's waiting for dinner.

  
  


* * *

During dinner, Techno is quiet. Which isn't all that unheard of, only now, he's not speaking _and_ he's not eating — which is unsettling; since Phil was under the impression that having their meals together was one of Techno's favourite pass-times — as it were his own.

The Blood Gods head is downcast and facing his still full bowl of soup, the steam dissipating into the air and contents gone cold. Although Techno braids his hair often, something is off today, and Phil narrows his eyes suspiciously at the messy hairs poking out and covering the sides and front of his face; making it impossible for Phil to decipher just what expression Techno's harbouring.

He clears his throat, putting down his spoon as he levels Techno with a cautious look, "I think I'll pay Tommy a visit tomorrow, with Fundy,"

Techno jolts, and Phil's frown deepens.

"Would you like to come along too, Techno?"

Phil's not sure what answer he was expecting, if Techno was going to give him one anyway, but he certainly wasn't expecting his eldest son to start shaking violently with a silent laughter, as he slowly looks up to meet his fathers eyes,

Phil takes a sharp, painful intake of breath through his nose at the sight of Techno's blood shot eyes, pupils completely black with blood lust. He was staring straight through Phil, eyes blown wide but completely unable to focus on anything around him.

"He wasn't even wearing shoes, Phil, he was going to die with no shoes on," Techno gravely states, mind miles away, smile wide but completely devoid of any joy. His voice was scratching his throat as it escaped his mouth, "I think you should make him some boots."

"Okay, Techno," Phil whispers pitifully, leaning over the table to cover Techno's flitting eyes with his hand, "Okay. Let's go to bed."

Phil ends up staying the night, just in case.


	4. PARTY OF DEATHs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil looks at him with a heavy look, one of those he saves specifically for when he's disappointed in something. And for one, frightful moment, Techno worries that the look is for him; but then Phil reaches out and pats him comfortingly on the shoulder, holding his hand there for just a second longer than needed.

Phil sighs harshly, leaning down to pull up his boots and tighten the string of his cape, "I think I'm going to pop over to L'manberg for a day or two before I visit him."

"Okay." Techno replies quietly.

"Do you need anything while I'm there? I hear the bakery is open again."

Techno's eyes start to hurt from how long he's been staring straight at the ground, "No thank you."

"Alright."

Techno never tells Phil what he saw in the Nether. Doesn't tell him about the holes in Tommy's clothes and bruises on his arms and face (he'll see them soon enough). Or how close he was to the edge. He barely remembers any of it, his mind regressing the memories so far behind that he struggles to bring any forward.

He doesn't tell Phil. Rather, he promises Phil that he will be fine on his own when he sets off the very next morning.

"You sure you don't want to come along?" Phil tries one last time, his long blue and white cape draped over him warmly. "I'm sure Tommy will appreciate the company." He pulls his hood over his eyes and heaves the bag just a little higher on his shoulders. Techno's packed him some food as well as the pearls, and Phil had accepted them graciously. The sound of metal and rock clinging to his side distract him from Phil's pleading gaze.

Somewhere during the night, after Phil had gently pushed him into bed and shut his door tightly, the older man receded down to the basement. And when Techno, shaking and shivering from the decreasing adrenaline, hobbled down the stairs to see-to breakfast a few sleepless hours later, he stops in his tracks and stares in bewilderment at the object placed in front of an empty seat at his dinner table.

A brand new, shiny pair of diamond boots.

Phil doesn't comment on them as he passes him a plate of bread and left over soup from the night before, but Techno feels his throat tighten at the sight.

"I don't think my company is the one he wants, Phil. He needs you." Techno replies quietly, and then he tries to sound lighthearted in an attempt to appease his father, "I've kept you around for too long, old man."

"Well, lucky for you, I'll be back in a few days to help you catch some turtles." Phil winks at Techno's shocked expression, "I haven't forgotten."

"You don't… you don't have to. Tommy will probably appreciate you staying a few nights. He's all alone out there, aside from Wil."

Phil's smile doesn't deter, though his eyes do soften in a diluted sense of sadness, whether directed at him or Tommy, Techno isn't sure, "I'll see you in a bit, Tech. Stay out of trouble."

Techno waits by the door as Phil begins to trek through the fresh snow that had fallen the night before, his ankles being completely hidden. Suddenly though, Techno watches in amazement as Phil's shoulders begin to shake and contort, and from hidden under his cape, Phil's large black wings peaks through. His father stops then and twirls around, his wings completely flying out from his shoulders and making the snow fly up and around him like magical dust;

Techno is in awe, as Phil smiles brightly and calls out, "Today will be a good day Tech! Smile!"

And then, he jumps.

A large gust of wind erupts from Phil's wings as he flaps away, but when they reach Techno, they die down and soften to nothing but a gentle breeze. It feels like cold icy fingertip's grazing his cheeks and tickling his ears… before they too leave like Phil.

Percy neighs loudly from his little fenced off house, and Techno can't help but smile proudly, "Yeah, he's so cool."

When he's completely sure Phil's left, an ear listening carefully to the flaps of large wings in the distance, and the wards close around his desolate home once more, Techno lets out a deep sigh. One he's been holding in since the day before. A long, heavy exhale of relief.

"Conflicts are one of my strong suits," he says tiredly to Percy, who stares him head on with a stupid look, "You'd think I would be used to the feeling by now. But this all just feels… wrong."

The horse cocks its head to the side, almost in question, and Techno's too distracted to question whether or not his bloody horse actually understands him, that he continues on his little rant, "Don't get me wrong. I know this is what he needs. Tommy's stubbornness will get him nowhere. I  _ still _ don't think he fully admits that this all, in hindsight, is  _ his fault. _ "

The wind picks up all of a sudden, and only then does Techno discover that he's worked himself up into a childish strop. He frowns, "He's just so  _ insufferable  _ sometimes. He never  _ listens.  _ If he did — if  _ only he listened to me  _ then we wouldn't be so —"

He pauses, staring mindlessly into the slow.

_ Wouldn't be so… ? _

"We wouldn't be so… different."

_ But is that really a bad thing?  _ He wants to ask himself,  _ is it really so bad that you and him will never be the same? Is it? _

"If he continues like this… he'll just die a worthless death."

**_But don't we all die a worthless death in the end?_ **

Percy suddenly scoffs, like he's laughing at the miserable expression on Techno's face; which miraculously startles Techno enough to get him scowling,

"Oh don't laugh at me you useless animal," he murmurs with no spite, only to then smack a hand over his forehead in exasperation, "Look at me Percy! Me, the Blood God, standing in the snow talking to a  _ horse  _ about a bloody sixteen year old criminal!"

Percy couldn't look like he cared any less, as to accentuate his point even furthur, he turns a whole one-hundred and eighty degrees to give Techno a full show of his arse, even swishing his tail for dramatic effect.

Techno grimaces, "You're horrible, you know that Percy? I should make you into a horse pie and feed you to the villagers."

Percy neighs loudly (which is, irritatingly, starting to sound like a laugh) and Techno scowls the whole way to his room, fastening his belts and cape a little too angrily, only to return in some riding gear and Percy's saddle.

"Horrible." He repeats as he straps himself on tightly, brushing a hand through Percy's mane, "Horrible, horrible creature."

Percy kicks off into the snow with a loud whine, excitedly galloping off into the horizon, and Techno let's the last of his anxiety bleed into the falling snow and icy wind.

* * *

  
  


By the time they return, the snow's thick and growing thicker with the sudden storm that's approaching just as the sun's about to set, the last of the golden rays reaching out across the white planes. Percy, though strong in spirit and skill, has grown tired from the entire  _ day  _ of running. Techno doesn't fault him, after all, ever since being tamed, Percy's been constricted to running through the hills and buildings of L'manberg, not given the privilege to stretch his legs and truly  _ run _ through the empty fields.

He gently pushes the tired horse into passing through the village, the lights from the lanterns and houses illuminating a clear path so Percy doesn't fall into any holes under mountains of snow. Neither he nor Techno have the mental stamina to try and dig out, and the Blood God does not want to spend the night camping away in a hole with a stinky horse for warmth.

Techno's surprised to see so many of the villagers out and about this late into the evening, even more so when he catches a little huddle of children bundled in winter coats attempt to run through Percy's legs (who's too tired to scare them off, and instead just weaves through the crowd).

"Oh, welcome back." Someone then suddenly says to his left, and Techno freezes. His hands fidget, not  _ at all  _ ready to talk to a stranger. Days of speaking with Philza have made him false-confident in his social skills, but they all but collapse when tasked with _actually_ trying to be s ocial _. _

Nonetheless, he slowly turns his head to meet the voice, an old, long nosed villager is staring at him boredly and unimpressed; which only makes Techno more nervous.

He clears his throat, "Uh. Yes. I am. Hello?"

The villager doesn't look pleased in the slightest, "Good evening. You ran off earlier and we thought you wouldn't be returning. The children wanted to ransack your home."

Techno must look positively horrified, as the monotone villager's mouth twitches, "It's a joke, Blood God." He sounds amused, while Techno just hopes Percy will somehow develop rockets on his feet and fly through the village to avoid any more awkward confrontations with his community.

His community. How odd. He's never thought the village his home, just… an additional piece to his current base. Sure, he spends a lot of his days trading with them and farming for them (but, in all honesty, it's more for himself than them), but other than that, there really isn't a need to form an ally-ship with the strange little Antarctic village.

"Well, given you seem to be out of commission at this moment, hmm, would you like to help me farm?"

Techno raises his brow in question at the strange question, and when the old village man smirks and points down to Percy — he's shocked to realise that Percy hasn't moved  _ at all.  _ Instead, he's stood stationary, eating carrots and seeds from the outstretched hands of all the little children (the group seems to have multiplied before his very eyes, and now there are almost a dozen little faces and hands peering up at him).

"Traitor," he whispers under his breath at the attention-starved horse, who all but soaks up the care and affection like a dehydrated sponge.

The snot nosed children all look up with wide eyes, faces glowing. Techno frowns, "Have they never seen a horse before?"

The village man snickers, "Your fine horse is not what warrants their amazement, Blood God."

A chorus of astonished  _ oohs _ and  _ aahs _ ripple through the little group of kids at the mention of his title, and to Techno's growing mortification, they're all staring up at  _ him  _ with disbelief.  _ What. _

"Uh…" he begins awkwardly, hands moving around him in a jerky fashion, "I don't think…"

"Come along now, carrots taste best when farmed beneath the moonlight." The man cuts him off before he can make a fool of himself in front of the village's young populace. His statement confuses Techno more than the little children do, but he'd rather farm carrots at nightfall than try and entertain  _ children _ .

His plan doesn't quite follow through however, since the moment he climbs off Percy to follow the already walking away man, the swarm of little feet bombard him and form an impressive indestructible defence circle around the Blood God, who (if he didn't already) looked about three steps away from passing out.

"Uh, hello…" he manages croakily, only sounding a little disgusted, and the group all take in a collective breath, their faces going pink in awe.

Techno almost grimaces, wondering how ethical it would be to try and gently kick a path through the sea of children; when suddenly, one of them latches onto his cape. The kid trips as they grab on, falling face first into the snow and almost strangling Techno in the process; which warrants shocked little gasps and cries of outrage.

He grabs onto the strings of the cape to stop them from cutting off his airways, turning around incredulously to the best-accidentally attempted assassination on him in  _ centuries _ ; only to feel his whole body jerk at the sight.

The child is so very small, probably no older than three or four, with their stubby arms and feet — all encased in a jacket and hat far too big for their tiny little frame. From underneath the hat, he imagines messy bright blonde hair, and their eyes are just the right shade of blue. Crystal and shining. Looking at him with amazement and adoration.

But… that's not right. As when he blinks himself out of his stupor, the child is not blonde, but a light shade of brown highlighted under the lamp light. And his eyes are more ocean green than crystal blue. He's missing his two front teeth, but it doesn't deter his bright grin, though it doesn't quite meet his ears. And his laugh his quiet.

Techno purses his lips, the familiar feeling of conflict erupting in his chest. He makes one quick move, unclasping the knot around his neck and letting the cape fall to the ground, covering the fallen child and entertaining all the others — as he swiftly moves away. He's pretty much  _ running  _ to catch up with the villager, the sounds of children laughing and playing with his cape mixing with Percy's whines growing further and further away.

"I'm afraid you won't be getting your cape back," the villager hums with Techno catches up, chest heaving, "You might lose a finger or two if you were to fight the children for it."

"It's fine I — they can keep it." Techno mumbles uncomfortably, desperate to go home.

_ But go home and do what? _ Percy will go back to his little plot, and Techno to his empty house.

"You're quite the generous man, Blood God. Quite generous."

Techno doesn't know how to respond to that, so he nods awkwardly, playing with the hem of his coat.

"Your brother, the dead one, passed through earlier today. Was looking for you." The villager then continues casually, as if this weren't his first ever interaction with one of the most revered gods in all the lands. It really does one for Techno's ego, if he's going to be honest. Makes him feel… normal.

Techno clears his throat, looking intensively at the local library instead of the villager when answering him, "I see."

"He speaks of a beach party, taking place two days from now." The villager takes a dramatic pause, looking at the God through the corner of his eyes, calculating, "Hosted by the Chaos God and your  _ other  _ brother. The loud one with eyes of blue."

"I see." Techno repeats, a little more strained. "Anything else?"

"It is strictly invite only. You will probably not be permitted to attend, given your relations with the blue eyed brother." The villager drops bluntly without any hesitance, and it's quite embarrassing how easily Techno feels  _ hurt  _ by this. It's not unexpected. 

"Okay." He sighs.

The villager challenges him with one more speculative glance, looking like he wants to say more; but perhaps takes pity on the usually arrogant and cocky God's diminished demeanor and thinks better of it, "That is all, please help me farm the carrots now."

* * *

  
  


Two days later, Phil shows up at Techno's door, and the Blood God is very confused.

"Why are you here?"

Phil frowns dramatically, as if Techno had personally offended his honour, "Wow, and here I thought you'd miss me."

"No, I mean — I did but —" Techno feels the tips of his long pointy ears flush, but he makes a point to pretend he doesn't notice it (although, judging by Phil's fond smile, he's not doing a good job), "You're not supposed to be here. Today."

Phil raises an eyebrow, but he's still smiling, kicking off his boots as he enters the front entrance, "Is there anywhere I'm meant to be? I thought we were catching turtles."

"It's Tommy's party!" Techno states, only slightly raising his voice. The annoyance is not directed at or caused by Phil, it's not, really, but Techno can't help and —

"Ah, yes, the beach party." Phil sighs, shrugging off his coat, "He did seem very excited about it."

Techno narrows his eyes at his father, turning his head to the side as if to say  _ and? Why are you here? _

Phil looks at him with a heavy look, one of those he saves  _ specifically  _ for when he's disappointed in something. And for one, frightful moment, Techno worries that the look is for  _ him _ ; but then Phil reaches out and pats him comfortingly on the shoulder, holding his hand there for just a second longer than needed.

"I didn't get an invite, buddy." Phil informs solemnly, and Techno's ears are  _ ringing. _

_ What? _

"I guess he didn't want me to be there? Which… is a bit of bummer but it is  _ his  _ party so I can't really complain now —"

_ Wait no, this isn't right. _

"Anyway, I'm sure he's inviting his other friends. Which is good! Hopefully they'll all work through their differences and become friends once more! Hey, do you have any soup left? I'm absolutely starving —"

Techno not being invited makes sense. It's  _ correct.  _ But Phil?  _ Phil _ ? Something wasn't right. Techno's not sure if it's simply him being paranoid or if it's his irrational need to know  _ everything  _ but this entire situation didn't sit right with him, not at all.

"I can make some." Techno manages to say through his mental explosion, already walking to the kitchen, "I can — I can make the soup."

Phil follows quietly, not trying to crack a joke or even simply filling the air with his giggles and it literally hurts Techno's soul.

_ Why not Phil? _

_ Why not — _

Techno's eyes widen.

"Hey," Phil then says suddenly, looking around with a confused look, "Where's your cape gone?"

The Blood God's throat is dry, his hands gripping the kitchen counter tightly, "I—"

( " _ He speaks of a beach party, taking place two days from now. Hosted by the  _ **_Chaos God_ ** _ and your other brother. The loud one with eyes of blue _ ." )

"Techno?" Sounding concerned, Phil moves over to where Techno's stood still by the counter top. He reaches out tentatively, but stops before he reaches Techno's shoulders.

_ Chaos God. _

"I lost it." Techno easily lies.

_ Dream. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ha ha take some fluff, before i completely destroy it all in the next chapter <3


	5. BLOOD OF BROTHERs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Don't look so surprised," Dream laughs, throwing the end of the lead to Techno's slack figure, "I don't want you dead."

Techno thinks about the beach party a lot after that day.

He goes with Phil to catch the turtles, relishing every little giggle and chuckle he can get and storing it away in his head for later; on those nights the voices in his head are extra loud and scary. His head is pounding and the voices are screaming to fix this mistake  _ Dream  _ had caused — but Techno doesn't dare leave his base, not when Philza is here.

Phil stays all day. And the next. And the next. They hatch turtles in the night, sitting by their little sand home around a small fire just in case they needed to help the babies out. The two of them watch the little round green little heads poke out from the spotted white shells, eyes glued shut and moving slowly. They're so very small.

Techno tries, he really does, to watch them intently. To clear his mind and enjoy the marksmanship of  _ life _ ! To forget about the screams and just  _ live  _ in the present with his father _.  _ He even names one of the turtles, makes sure it's home is safe and clean. Toby. The smallest of the bunch.

But it's not enough to subdue the wrath he feels bubbling under is skin.

But he endures it. For Phil.

This however, proves to no avail, as the next day at breakfast; Phil sighs tiredly, dropping his spoon onto the dining table with a loud clatter. Techno jumps — which in and of itself should prove now distracted Techno is — looking at Phil with a surprised expression. Though, this only seems to annoy Phil even more, as he narrows his eyes and channels Techno with narrowed eyes.

"Don't do something you'll regret." He states completely out of the blue, making absolutely no sense. The last thing Techno remembers saying is ' _ hey, should I get a dog?'  _ so this level of disagreement from Phil warrants more than a little confusion.

So Techno pulls a stupid expression, "Hah?"

"You've been jumping out of your skin all day, something's obviously distracting you." Phil elaborates with an eye roll, "It's like I've been talking to a wall for the last two days!" Horror dawns on Techno's face as he feels the tips of his ear grow warm and red.

"I — I'm sorry."

Phil rolls his eyes again, although it's fonder this time, reaching over the table to grab Techno's empty bowl of porridge to clean out, "I'm not mad. I'm just worried about you."

"I'm not the one you should be worried about," Techno murmurs angrily under his breath, head pounding heavily once more — but immediately feels bad about it when Phil let's out an exasperated sigh.

"Technoblade," oh no, not his  _ whole  _ name, "I have no idea what you're planning to do, but you better stay out of trouble this time,"

The  _ this time  _ is a heavy phrase, since over the last few months, it seems everything Techno's ever done has warranted Phil's worry. The Antarctic empire, L'manberg, the festive, Dream —

He frowns.

"I don't go looking for trouble Phil, it just — it just keeps showing up."

Phil chuckles, looking over his shoulder from where he's stood washing the bowls and spoons, "Haven't I heard that one before. You know, maybe when things all calm down, we should all take a vacation.  _ Far  _ away from here,"

Techno doesn't ask Phil who  _ we  _ is, and Phil doesn't elaborate either.

"I need to head back to L'manberg today," he changes the subject entirely instead, "They'll start to get antsy if I'm gone for  _ too  _ long,"

Techno scoffs, "Mortals are so dramatic."

"Okay Mr. Blood God, we can't all be as stoic as you!"

Phil's warm laughter fills the small dining area as Techno buries his head in his hands, ears burning and cheeks flaring. He always feels so ridiculous when Phil teases him about his status, because truly, it  _ is  _ ridiculous. This is the same man that's bathed him when he was a child — how is this  _ not  _ the most mortifying experience.

Before he can remember anymore horrible childhood memories, Phil's laugh begins to fade into the walls, and he coughs through to the end.

"Whatever you're going to do when I leave," Phil sighs in defeat, having accepted that something caught Techno's attention and probably won't be ridden of unless  _ he's  _ the one getting rid of it, "Just… don't charge head first into it, okay?"

"I'm not a  _ child,  _ Phil," Techno grumbles, eyeing the man from behind his hands.

Phil smiles sadly, "I know, Tech. That's what worries me. You're too grown up now, too serious. Sometimes — sometimes things aren't always what they look like, yeah?"

The voices all fall silent at that, surprising Techno. He watches Phil put down the last spoon, grabbing a nearby cloth to dry his hands.

The man turns around to face him again, eyes not quite as bright as they used to be, "I'm going to go pack up some of my things, Okay?"

Techno hums, "Okay."

Phil nods assuredly once, and then once more as he walks away, stopping briefly to run a hand through Techno's fallen bangs; before he disappears into the house.

The room is silence once more, and voices are loud again,

_ Things aren't always what they look like. _

Techno frowns again, "Okay." He repeats quietly to himself, the buzzing of adrenaline slowly dissipating, "It's okay."

Many hours and a hearty dinner later, Phil sets off for L'manberg again. Techno tries to convince him that it's dangerous to travel in the night, especially in the snow; but stops himself when Phil smirks, eyes flashing yellow under the moonlight. His wings are black, darker than the sky itself, and when he flies away, Techno appreciates the silhouette he creates in front of the moon.

He thinks he can hear Phil shout, ' _ Stay out of trouble, Tech! _ ' — and that's all he needs to put on his snow boots and grab a new cape.

He grabs Percy's lead and begins to walk to the village;

Hopefully he can help them farm carrots again.

(  _ He does, and then the children feed them all to Percy.  _ )

* * *

  
  


The next day, Techno and Percy get kidnapped — because of course they do.

* * *

  
  


Okay, so, maybe they weren't  _ kidnapped _ .

But Techno doesn't think being unfairly attacked by four other people in glistening enchanted armor, both his horse  _ and  _ his father being held as hostage and then being hurled across an ocean for a day and a half counts as an  _ arrest. _

Regardless, he escapes — because he's the  _ Blood God  _ as everybody in this country seems to have forgotten — and just as he's torn between breaking down Phil's door (he's been put under  _ house arrest? _ ) and searching frantically for Percy (stupid horse just  _ complied  _ with the kidnapping) — a flash of purple and blue races past him.

Techno follows behind it without another thought, the familiar diamond plated horse armour of Percy leading him over to a hidden cave just off the side of his execution ring.

In his relief, Techno didn't even stop to think about  _ who  _ was the one riding his horse; and he almost trips over his own two feet when the masked figure dressed in  _ obnoxious  _ lime green jumps off, holding the lead leisurely.

The voices are uncharacteristically quiet, perhaps as shocked as Techno.

"Don't look so surprised," Dream laughs, throwing the end of the lead to Techno's slack figure, " _ I  _ don't want you dead."

( _ Yet _ , his mind supplies.  _ Dream wants everyone dead at some point. _ )

"Dream — you're here?"

Dream gives him a lazy salute and a half bow, "The one only,  _ Blood God.  _ We Gods have to look out for each other, don't we? Now run along, Quackity sounds like he'll be here any minute now,"

Techno narrows his eyes, trying to listen beyond the walls of the cave to find out how in the _hell_ Dream would know that. Or… beyond the _room_ in fact, as little chests with dozens of names stare back at him. ( _He ignores them all, every name, he really does, especially—_ )

He hesitantly leads Percy over to the one labelled for himself, eyes only widening a fraction when he sees the contents in it. Hesitantly, he grabs the items, eyes never leaving Dream's relaxed figure leaning against the wall.

"I—" he begins, but grabs the words before they travel any further.

_ Don't thank him. Don't thank him. He's the enemy. He hurt Wilbur. He hurt Tommy. He'll hurt Phil. He'll hurt you— _

"Well, if my work is done here —" Dream stretches his arms as he pushes himself off the wall, as if he's only just woken up.

"Wait!" Techno cries all too suddenly, clearing his throat awkwardly and repeating himself a little quieter immediately after, "Wait."

Dream looks confused at the outburst, raising one single eyebrow.  _ What _ ?

"What did you do to Tommy?" It comes out rushed and blunt, and Techno looks just as surprised at himself than Dream does.

Well, that's not what he was expecting; Dream thinks tiredly. He works too hard for too little around here.

"You don't waste any time do you. Do I not even get a thank you for saving your life?" Dream sighs, his perfectly calculated plan having been stopped short by the last person he wanted to see interfering. He slides against the wall and sits down on the ground, his armour unnecessarily heavy and weighing him down.

Throwing his head back and turning his back to Techno, Dream stares tiredly up at the ceiling of the dark purple room. _The final control room,_ as it was once known; back when things were simpler. When things were under _control._

Today was a long  _ tiring day.  _ Though, it worked out in the end, as most days do; Tommy's alone and broken, probably sitting at the bottom of the newly blown up pit in Logsted. Alone and breaking apart in his hands.  _ Under control. _

But of course, the God of Chaos never had it easy.

"Dream." Techno repeats a little more forcefully, and Dream frowns behind the mask. "What did you  _ do _ ?"

"Oh, me? Well, Tommy was quite upset yesterday, we had a little bit of a… disagreement you see. No issue though!" Dream calls over his shoulder, relaxing as he leans all the way back. His back is arched as he tempts a look behind him, just to see the sweet look of confusion on Techno's face.

But instead, Dream blanches in surprise, his grip slipping. He straightens his position suddenly, eyebrows furrowed.

"What's with that sour expression?" Dream mumbles to himself, replaying the look of absolute  _ anger  _ on the Blood God's face.

"The invitations," Techno continues annoyingly, and Dream wants to scowl.

_ How did he know? _

A silence befalls the two gods, and Dream is surprised to feel the faintest rumble under his fingertips. Techno's bloodlust is suffocating, bleeding into the walls and floor, travelling up his ankles and  _ holding him.  _ It's invasive if anything.

He stands to his feet after awhile, stretching his legs and back again, wincing as his joints click sickeningly. He must have been sitting there for a while, if the ache in his bones are anything to go by; but not long  _ enough,  _ if Techno had come to his senses and found him out so easily.

"The invitations,  _ Dream. _ " Techno repeats.

Dream feels his fingers twitch.

"Invitations?" Dream hums philosophically, rubbing his chin and faking confusion, "Oh! Yes, yes, from a few days ago, the party! Well, it seems no one decided to show up! It broke Tommy's little heart."

"No one showed up?"

"Oh yes, very sad and lonely. I think Tommy cried, but no trouble, I was there and —"

" _ No one showed up? _ " Techno says again, the ground beneath them rumbling louder as his voice drops, " _ Or… did no one receive an invite. _ "

Dream freezes, his fingers barely ghosting the handle of the sword. His frown deepens, and he's so incredibly disappointed and the turn of events, he groans out loud.

"You've got to be joking." Dream confronts, turning to Techno with exasperation, "That's why you're upset? Because of Tommy's stupid little  _ party _ ?"

"But why? Why did you do that?" Techno asks desperately, and Dream's surprised at the amount of emotion the Blood God's pouring into his word. It's unnerving.

_ No,  _ he thinks sourly,  _ it's pathetic. _

"I did it because of what you said,  _ Technoblade. _ "

Techno's eyebrows fly up to his hairline, and he stares down at Dream incredulously, " _ Me?  _ What did I —"

"Teach him a lesson? A wake up call? A morbid reminder?" Dream narrows his eyes at Techno, watching the other's expression become darker and darker with every phrase, "Ring any bells?"

_ This is annoying,  _ Dream inwardly groans to himself as he watches Techno get more and more riled up over something  _ he  _ supported no less than two weeks ago. His plan seems to have hit a bit of a dent — a long pink haired, hooved feet, _G_ _ od of Blood  _ shaped dent.

_ Well _ , he grins,  _ nothing a little beating never solved _ . It had been a while since he and Techno went head to head, and he meant  _ really _ fought. Techno's always been a worthy opponent.

One day, when Techno figures it all out and stops acting like a complete  _ child _ , he'll even be unstoppable.

But until then —

"I didn't —" Techno looks pale.

"That's why heroes  _ never win, Tommy. _ " Dream echoes, and Techno can almost hear himself in the shadows of the words. Dream watches intently as Techno takes a staggering step back into Percy's side, far too vulnerable and exposed at that moment. It's honestly embarrassing, witnessing the usually strong and powerful  _ Blood God  _ be reduced to a man who's acting recklessly for a  _ brother. _

Dream sneers, "You've gone soft Techno. I'm not the bad guy here. You wanted the  _ same thing.  _ To teach him  _ a lesson. _ "

That comment seems to hit a sensitive spot, as Techno exhaled harshly through his nose, "It was just a party! A harmless party!"

Dream pauses, his mouth parted ever so slightly behind the mask as realisation dawns on him

_ Oh _ , Dream thinks,  _ Why didn't he notice this before? _

Technoblade and Tommy really  _ were _ brothers. There was no need for a fight; the two would hardly listen anyway, as it's second nature for the two of them to fix their problems with violence and shouting respectfully. They wouldn't listen. They wouldn't  _ learn. _

"A party where all his friends, the one's he betrayed  _ you  _ to protect, were going to attend!"

Dream takes his hand away from his sword.

He needed to use his  _ words  _ to tear down the high and mighty Blood God. Just like he did with Tommy.

Techno flinches, that comment stabbing further into his heart than any sword could. Dream almost smiles.

"He didn't…"

"Didn't what, Techno?" Dream cries amusedly, throwing his hands into the air, "Were you honestly going to say  _ Tommy  _ didn't betray you?  _ Seriously _ ?"

Techno gulps, his throat feeling so unbearably dry.

Percy whines loudly in his ear, pushing his head into Techno's neck to urge him away, almost as if he can feel this interaction going south. But Techno can barely hear him, he can barely hear  _ anything _ —

But he can hear Dream. He's so  _ loud. _

"He used you, Techno. He called you only when he needed your power. You think he wanted  _ you _ ? You think he wanted  _ Big Brother Techno?"  _ Dream laughs loudly and condescending, grabbing onto his side with how hard he's laughing, "Don't make me laugh! He doesn't want you for  _ you _ , he wants you for  _ power. _ "

Techno can't even disagree. He never would have. Because it's true. Tommy —  _ Wilbur  _ — never would have called for him if they didn't think he wouldn't bring them success. They had never needed him before, and Tommy had always,  _ always,  _ made it clear that they needed to win.

And so Techno, filled with an emotion so fond and  _ genuine _ ; ensured his brother's victory.  _ No matter what. _

And in the process, he got burned.

Like Icarus, he plummeted straight into an ocean fueled with regret and pain and  _ betrayal _ . Agony and distrust and  _ hate and hate and hate and hate and — _

"You aren't  _ wanted  _ by anyone, Mr. Blood God!" Dream cries, becoming borderline hysterical, "None of us are! Not you, not me! Not ever,  _ not now _ !"

Techno stills. Narrowing his eyes at the ground.

Dream is so  _ loud.  _ So correct.

But…

But the  _ voices  _ are louder.

_ He's wrong. _

_ He's trying to trick you. _

_ He's not in control. _

_ He — _

And all of them, every single one, can see straight through the lies rolling off Dream's tongue like the very air they all breathe.

Techno's moving his lips before he can think better of it.

"But, what about George and Sapnap?" He murmurs, but Techno sees the exact moment it cuts through Dream's head.

The god of War recoils, his shoulders going rigid, "What?"

"They never wanted you?"

"I don't see how this has anything to do with —" Dream sneers, " _ Shut up. _ "

"They were your everything, Dream," Techno tries, speaking slowly. Like he were communicating with a feral dog, reaching forward with his words, but backwards with every step,

_ ( "It's dangerous here,"  _ the voices say,  _ "He's dangerous. He's unstable. He's lost. He—"  _ )

"They…  _ are _ your everything." Techno whispers, his words bleeding into the cool air around them. He doesn't mean it like a threat, he really doesn't — he's tired of always _fighting_ — but it comes out as one.

Dream's shoulders shake, and unsurprisingly, the ground shakes harder than when Techno let himself slip. The air picks up, and it suddenly shifts from a cool damp blanket to a sharp blade of wind, rushing through Techno's hair. The cave has no openings, so Techno knows Dream's letting his anger mix with their surroundings. Debris and pebbles are clattering across the floor and falling from the ceiling, bouncing off of Dream and onto the ground.

Percy whines, kicking up and nearly hitting himself on the crumbling ceiling if not for Techno pulling him back down. He grabs the horses head, hands on either side of his face, trying to calm him down. Techno's head is on _fire._

"Take Percy and leave." Dream states quietly, but Techno hears him loud and clear.

Techno and Tommy  _ are  _ brothers; Dream thinks again for the second time that night, as he challenges Techno with a long hard look.

Techno narrows his eyes once more, and he looks like he might attack.

_ They're both — _

But stops himself, pulling himself up onto Percy with one strong movement, staring down at Dream with a sneer, eyes sharp and  _ red. _

_ — so entirely — _

Dream waits, his hands trembling by his side. His fingers on fire and his sword just a swing away.

But Techno visibly lurches back, like some third party being was pulling him back from confronting Dream. Stopping him from acting recklessly.

_ — annoying. _

And then, he's gone, riding awkwardly through the low ceilings of the sewer system, Percy's hooves rattling the stone ground.

Dream sighs, the anger still bubbling in his chest. The ground stops shaking, falling a quiet rumble. Just as he's about to go charging behind Techno; Dream hears Quackity's screams of outrage approaching the room.

_ How embarrassing,  _ he says to himself as he teleports out, throwing his pearls carelessly into the night, _he almost let himself act like a mortal_. George would probably laugh at him. Sapnap  _ definitely _ would have laughed at him.

He only grows angrier at the thought, and he suddenly changes coarse, heading straight for Logsted.

  
  


* * *

  
  


When he arrives, Tommy is nowhere to be seen. The God of Chaos is only slightly surprised.

Dream sighs defeatedly, dropping himself onto the ground tiredly. His head falls between his knees, his very bones and _soul_ aching.

"They really are brothers," he laughs bitterly, "How annoying."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have just heard news of techno disregarding the sleepyboi lore (in the middle of me writing this in fact) and to that i say, thank you for your contribution to the fandom, mr.blade, but i am choosing to ignore you. i will now make this family dynamic SO strong in anger and spite. thank you for nothing /j but not really because i'm crying /thumbs up emoji/


	6. THE COLD WINTERs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Techno nearly misses the next shot at the skeleton due to the sheer ridiculousness of the situation (but he doesn't, and the skeleton falls down a random pit to his inevitable demise), "What am I doing here? I live here! What are you doing here?"

"When we get home, I'm bolting my door and windows. No one can come in. I'm hibernating. Forever." Techno mumbles agitatedly, teeth beginning to clatter as the better cold sinks into his bones.

He's never felt heat the same way the mortals do, but he still _bleeds_ warm blood. And the butcher squad of about four useless people (or whatever they're calling themselves) took _all_ of his things — including his (new!) cape and jacket. Once he returns home and eats enough mushroom soup to send himself into a soup-induced coma; the first order of business will be retrieving all his stolen items. _No matter what._

Percy snorts, and for some reason Techno completely understands — because the cold has finally gone to his head; "Fine! No one can come in  _ but  _ Phil."

But then he remembers that oh yeah,  _ Phil's under house arrest!  _ Now that really aggravates him. The fact that Phil, one of the most law abiding (in most cases) and sweetest citizens that hell-country has ever had and yet — they imprisoned him for the benefit of their execution.

"Remind me to stick my pick axe into Quackity's  _ skull  _ when I —"

The moment he turns the corner around the huge snowy mountain towards the village — a sudden gaggle of little children just  _ barely  _ miss getting trodden on by Percy; who tries to reverse back into a stone and  _ almost  _ fails and nearly sends Techno rolling backwards into a pile of snow.

"What the — hello?" He calls confusedly to the panicked children, all of them talking and screaming up at him at the same time. For a moment they all sound like the voices in his head — only smaller and squeakier and  _ entirely  _ incomprehensible.

"Blue eyed —"

"Under house!"

"Sneaking golden apples!"

"Who — where are your parents?" He attempts, looking around helplessly for anyone to come gather these horrid snot creatures and whatever story they're imaginations have created. "Please, go away. Percy will step on you — he will!"

"Blue eyed brother!" One of the older one cries, sounding exasperated as if Techno was stupid for not understanding their rambles, "Blue eyed brother is here!"

"Tommy?!" Techno questions in disbelief, wondering if perhaps they've mistaken another blonde haired boy passing through the snow as him.

The kids all nod vigorously, grabbing onto Techno's trousers and Percy's hair and pushing them forward in haste, "He is here!"

"Here? In the village?" Techno can feel his already painful headache grow tenfold at the idea of having to chase Tommy out of his village — or ignoring him all together (although Phil might not forgive him for that one) — and it only increases when all the children gather behind Percy to push him forward, his tail smacking them in the faces.

However, they power through and with their combined strength manage to push Percy  _ one  _ step forward, before they all go back to screaming at him.

Only this time the voices in his head are  _ louder. _

"Blue eyed brother is —"

_ There's someone in your home. _

Techno's eyes widen, realising the painful throbbing in his head wasn't just any headache — but a reminder of the wards Phil had put up around his base.

_ ( "Remember Tech, the ward will trigger something if someone who isn't invited in steps into the land," ) _

When he was…  _ apprehended  _ a few days before the wards must have been triggered; and now without Phil to repair them his base lays completely laid out in the open for anyone to stumble in.

_ Anyone to stumble in. _

"He is in your home!"

"Blue eyed —"

Techno feels the exact moment his adrenaline spikes through his blood, the change perhaps so apparent that all the children back away; staring up at him with glowing eyes. It's not his blood lust that bleeds from his skin and over the things around him, because the voices do not demand blood in this case; far from it in fact. The voices are instead screaming at him to get home, to find Tommy before —  _ before Dream can — _

_ Tommy is in danger! _

_ Alone! _

_ Quickly! _

_ Protect him! _

_ (Save him, before he ends up like Wilbur.) _

Percy's racing through the snow before he can process the wind flying through his hair, head pounding and voices shouting words of hurry at him. The village path is clear as he runs through, children and patrons waving excitedly at him as he passes by like a blur. He doesn't understand why they're so happy about Tommy's sudden appearance — since all Techno feels is sick to his stomach.

He feels like he's flying when they reach the empty fields of snow, like Phil's huge black wings have sprouted from Techno's back and are carrying him towards his house; as he makes it there in record time, the sun setting behind the cobble roof and a blanket of blue and navy encasing the snowy planes.

Techno's made it back just in time it seems, as the moment his eyes, watery from the sharp cold, focus on the surroundings — he sees the unmistakable tuft of bright blonde hair open his door; their crystal blue eyes widening in horror as Techno stares back in shock.

He knew Tommy would be here, he heard it himself. But actually  _ seeing  _ him, in his raggedy old red and white shirt and ripped scuffed trousers —  _ with no shoes on —  _ is a whole new perspective.

He haphazardly kicks the side of Percy's hind leg to speed him up, watching as Tommy fiddles with the door before he takes off running into the snow behind Techno's house.

There are perhaps a handful of key defining moments that dictate a new chapter in his life, Techno thinks bittersweetly as he all but throws himself off of Percy the moment he reaches the fences, vaguely hoping the horse will let himself in after months of routine. Some times these moments are so absurdly unimaginable, and feel so  _ surreal  _ that there's no doubt about it. This one, chasing Tommy through the snow immediately after surviving an exception is definitely one of those moments.

_ See Phil,  _ the voices say as Techno breathes heavily, running behind Tommy,  _ I don't go looking for trouble, trouble comes to me. _

_ Sometimes trouble is million voices screaming bloody murder. _

_ Sometimes trouble is a misstep, straight into lava. _

_ Sometimes trouble is an insane brother looking to destroy a country. _

_ And sometimes, trouble is an idiotic teenager travelling through rock and snow with no shoes on to find his house in the middle of the Antarctic. _

"Tommy!" He shouts in a mix of concern and uncontrollable anger, his boots crushing the fresh snow as he follows the younger boy, "Tommy what the heck are you  _ doing  _ here?"

"Go away Technoblade!" Tommy cries out nervously, tripping over his own feet as he attempts to escape. He looks back briefly, his lips blue and nose red.

"What are you doing in my house?" He rephrases, not  _ trying  _ to sound threatening — but he can't help himself, not when Tommy looks half dead and —

"Tommy stop! There's a skeleton!"

"Fuck you, Bitch!" Tommy shouts unhelpfully, only to get immediately shot in the leg by said skeleton — like the moron he is.

Techno groans inwardly, pulling out his own bow and arrows slung across his back and shooting the skeleton back, as Tommy  _ finally  _ collapses onto the ground in a heap of swear words and blood. "Your ridiculous," he grumbled loud enough for the boy to hear, "Where are you trying to run? In the middle of a  _ snow storm! _ "

"Away from you!" Tommy answers, before clutching his wounded leg in pain, "What the fuck are you doing here?"

Techno nearly misses the next shot at the skeleton due to the sheer ridiculousness of the situation (but he doesn't, and the skeleton falls down a random pit to his inevitable demise), "What  _ am I  _ doing here? I live here! What are  _ you  _ doing here?"

"I ran away! Revolted! Ha ha —  _ ow fuck _ ." He groans, throwing his head back into the snow, red and brown seeping into the white around him, "Am I going to  _ die _ ?"

Techno really tries to not roll his eyes at his obviously distressed brother, but he does so anyway, grabbing the teenager by the arm and throwing him over his shoulder, hoisting him up by his waist, "You're not going to die, atleast, not until you tell me what you're doing here."

Tommy scoffs next to his ear, blowing warm air into his face annoyingly, and definitely on purpose, but he doesn't answer. Not even when Techno props him against the house wall like a rag doll to safely lock Percy's fenced house.

The moment, however, Techno brings Tommy into the living room to try and bandage him up — the teenager passes out into his arms. Because he's got a flare for the dramatics and making a living hell out of Techno's life — and he's got an arrow sticking out of his leg.

* * *

  
  


When Tommy wakes up about a half hour later, sprawled across Phil's bed like a corpse, it's like he's suddenly regressed back into the Tommy Techno remembers seeing on the Nether path, standing dangerously close to the lava.

Before he stupidly stood in front of a skeleton, while he was running away like a lunatic — Techno saw it. He saw the  _ life  _ in Tommy's eyes and the cheeky grin on his face. He saw the sprint in his step and the energy to live.

But now, standing by the door to Phil's bedroom as Tommy slowly stirs himself awake, sitting up against the pillows, Techno sees something else.

He feels his blood boil, the once crystal blues of Tommy's eyes dulling into a monochromatic grey. This wasn't right. This wasn't what was supposed to happen.

"Hi Techno," he mumbles, voice meek and afraid, "Miss me?"

The Blood God stares indifferently at his younger brother, or what seems to be the decaying bodied shell of the once rebellious and youthful boy, but his head is pounding and the voices are screaming to get rid of the problem that's causing Tommy so much harm.

Dream.

_ Dream. _

"What happened, Tommy?" Techno asks with a sigh, feeling everything and nothing all at the same time. It seemed whenever it came down to it — he was completely defenceless when put up against with Dream. The other God knew how to act in places Techno couldn't even  _ begin  _ to understand.

And something tells him that this fight, this  _ war —  _ isn't going to be an arms race. Not this time.

Tommy laughs emptily, attempting to add a slither of humour into the room, "Ha! Funny story actually. You know my good friend Dream? Well we uh — we had a bit of a… disagreement you see. So I packed my things and left!" He pauses, looking down at his left leg, where Techno had to cut the trouser leg off to safely wrap a bandage around the arrow wound, "Well uh, I packed…"

"I saw," Techno grunts, "I found your little hole under my basement. I  _ also  _ found my gold and armour down there too."

Tommy grimaces, "Ah well, I decided to decorate. It's a bit grim, out in the Antarctic."

"Yes." Techno states in reply, not adding any more. Tommy nods awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

They were never good at talking to eachother,  _ especially  _ if Wilbur or Phil weren't around to coordinate.

"Right. So," Tommy gestures around vaguely, "This your room then?"

"No, it's Phil's."

Tommy's eyes brighten a little at that, and Techno can't fault him for it. Not when saying Phil's name feels like butterfly feet on your palm. Tommy smiles as he asks, "Phil lives here too?"

The phrasing of the sentence is a little odd, but Techno doesn't mention it as he corrects him, "No. He just visits for a few days, so I made it easier and just gave him a room instead of sleeping on the floor."

"Well," Tommy hums, "Where is he?"

Techno raises a brow, "Phil? Under house arrest back in L'manberg."

The Blood Gods not sure if the mention of their arrested father or former home startles Tommy more, but the teenager recoils in on himself, going quiet. He doesn't even ask why, or  _ why  _ Techno looks like he just crawled out of hell itself — but Techno isn't really in the mood to explain his execution anyway.

A little hesitantly, Techno continues, "He's fine, he'll probably escape and come back in a few days."

Tommy nods absentmindedly, Techno can tell because his grey eyes are focused on nothing, as he gently lowers himself back down onto the bed. He's so very thin, more so than usual, and the thick pillows basically drown him as he falls inbetween them. The red covers are pulled over his shoulders once more, his hair sticking out in all the odd places, "Can I… can I sleep in his bed until he comes back?"

Techno furrows his brows, taking a glance at Tommy's bandaged leg, "Are you… planning to stay for awhile?"

Tommy freezes abruptly, looking uncomfortable all over again. For a moment, Techno expects him to scream and shout and throw a tantrum about  _ something  _ — but it never comes. Instead, Tommy slowly turns to the other side, facing the wall with his back to Techno, "I don't — I don't really have a home anywhere else."

"But," Techno starts, "Logsted?"

Tommy exhaled shakily, "I told you, I ran away from Dream. I can't go back."

Techno's frown deepens, "You shared a home with Dream, back in Logsted?"

The air is as quiet as it is thick, the voice in his head travelling so quickly though his mind that he can't hear a single thing save for a distant hum of a million people. They scream, While Techno watches Tommy's breathing slow down into a slumber.

He doesn't know how long he's been standing there, or how long Tommy's been thinking; but Techno's  _ almost  _ startled when he hears the slightest mumble of Tommy begin to speak again.

"I think," he slurs, mind hidden deep under what Techno could only assume as weeks of sleepless nights. "I think… Dream was my home. Now I have… no one."

The Blood God stands completely still as Tommy rambles off other small hums and incomprehensible words, until he falls silent. Techno waits, just in case, but is met with nothing but gentle snores and the rise and fall of the bedsheets wrapped around his brothers small frame.

Techno backs out of the room slowly, his eyes never leaving the teenagers back, until he's forced to shut the door to Phil's bedroom.

He stands outside the room for a long time, unsure what he's exactly waiting for or expecting.

And then he hears a voice whisper, so quietly, at the back of his mind.

_ When was the last time Tommy slept in a warm bed? _

* * *

  
  


_ "Wilbur?" _

_ Techno startles awake, nearly smacking his sleeping brother across the face as he sits up in alarm, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his palm, "Wha —?" _

_ Through the sleepy haze, Techno relaxes when he makes out a small silhouette by the bedroom door, and immediately knows who it belongs to, "Tommy?" _

_ His youngest brother nods, walking into the room. He's clutching a pillow in one hand and the other is hidden behind his back. He's shivering as he answers, "I had a bad dream." _

_ "Do you want me to get Phil?" Techno mumbles tiredly, but Tommy shakes his head, "Wilbur?" _

_ His useless brother snores extra loud when his name is mentioned, and Techno narrows his eyes at Wilbur's sleeping frame on the space beside him. They have two seperate beds now that they're both thirteen, but Wilbur insisted they push the two together to create an extra big one. For warmth and protection during the harsh winter, or something stupid like that. _

_ "No," Tommy whispers, suddenly standing beside the bed by Techno's feet, "Can I just — can I —" _

_ "Okay," Techno sighs defeatedly, already reaching over to help the toddler get onto the bed, "Hop on. Just don't touch me and sleep on top of Wilbur." _

_ Tommy stiffles a giggle as Techno pulls him up onto the bed by his shirt collar, "Silly, I'm too big!" _

_ Techno rolls his eyes and flops back down into bed, keeping one eye open as he watches Tommy situate himself in the small space between his two older brothers, a far too pleased grin on his face. He stays half awake until Tommy's loud snores fill the room with Wilbur's equally as annoying ones. _

_ The next morning, Techno complains to Phil about how impractical their sleeping set up is; given Tommy nearly fell off the bed four times and Wilbur was somehow upside down when they all woke up. _

_ Phil moves Tommy's bed into his and Wilbur's room that night. _

_ And a few months later, the voices come and Techno leaves Phil's house. _

_ His bed stays cold and empty for a few years, until Tommy goes through an exceptionally annoying growth spurt (said Wilbur) when he turns thirteen, no longer able to fit in the child bed Phil had made him all those years ago. _

_ He sleeps in Techno's old bed, under Phil's roof, in Wilbur's room until the wars begin. He hasn't slept much since. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this one took awhile, but i hope it was worth the wait <3 oh and happy new year! its current five am so please excuse any mistakes, they will be fixed shortly :D goodnight !


	7. CLOSE YOUR DOORs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> By a miraculous turn of events, Philza shows up at his door the next morning, looking like he's just crawled out of hell and fought a wild horse on the way here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm back after finally getting over the absolute shit show that went down in the (or what remains of) community house! see sleepytwt, this is why we can't have nice things /side eyes tommy betrayal arc/
> 
> but no worries!! the canon can't hurt me if i rewrite it all! remember when i said this was updating canonically with the SMP? forget i said that. i lied. no more canon.

Techno doesn't sleep at all that night, constantly having an ear out in case Tommy woke up bleeding to death and needed him. Not that he assumes Tommy to  _ want  _ anything from him; since he half expects his younger brother to bolt out the window as soon as his leg is healed and the snow settles, but just in case, Techno listens out. Just in case.

When silence befalls the house and the land outside, not even the bees or Percy could be heard; when the entire world was still and  _ asleep  _ — Techno near jumps out his skin at the muffled mumbles coming from the room below his, and is out of bed and on his way down the ladder before he can even think about what he's expecting to see at the bottom. Tommy? Phil?  _ Dream _ ?

Before his leg hits the last step of the ladder, he pauses, foot hovering above the stone floor, like a single more move would collapse the house on top of him. He's frozen still, and for the first time in a  _ long  _ time, Techno's  _ afraid _ .

Because at the end of the corridor, behind Philza's door, the muffled voice becomes clearer. Cutting through the heavy silence like the sharp end of a dagger. Techno lets his ears twitch and move to take in as much of it as he can.

Tommy's crying.

Techno immediately wishes he had never gotten out of bed in the first place. How on  _ earth  _ was he supposed to help his brother through his midnight pity party when they had tried to  _ kill each other  _ less than a month ago. Not to mention, Tommy is equally — if not  _ more  _ — emotionally stunted as Techno (probably the cause of growing up too fast to fight in unnecessary wars for fun).

Even when they were younger, Tommy and Techno didn't do… conventional comfort. Tommy would much prefer to scream and shout and throw things at his problems and Techno, if possible, would eradicate the problem with his sword and a monotonous tone of indifference. Phil, for as lovely as a father he was, was also an  _ Angel  _ of Death; and for the days he spent at home with them did he spend the months away in the vast reality of the real world.

It was always Wilbur who played mediator until Techno left home, ready to hold Tommy's arms as he shrieked and fought and to pull Techno back from when he sunk too deep into the darkness of the voices. Even when they were kids, Wilbur hated fighting (not because he was a pacifist, but because he was lazy) and hated wearing armour and carrying weapons even more (says they were heavy and got in the way). Though Techno always frowned upon it, Wilbur had handled his problems and theirs with words and negotiations —

But in the end, a war still took his life as much as his mind did. Techno can't help but frown when he realises that whatever cracked soul of Wilbur walks amongst them as Ghostbur now, will never be able to amount to the sheer power and skill his brother had at the back of his head.

Even then, however, Techno imagines that  _ Ghostbur  _ could comfort Tommy better than he ever could — and Ghostbur's  _ dead! _

"Damn," Techno curses quietly beside himself, standing right in front of Philza's door, arm twitching at his side, "Where the hell is Philza when you need him?"

The crying stops abruptly, and Techno knows his presence has been noticed by the teenager on the other side the moment he hears the thump of Tommy's feet hitting the floor.

For the first time in  _ forever,  _ Techno is actually glad that the skeleton shot him in the leg — for as Tommy slowly, but surely, hobbles his way towards the bedroom door to investigate who had been loitering around like a  _ creep _ , Techno is already away and up the ladder in god speed. Somehow incredibly violently yet quietly; he throws himself into bed and lays there like a dead man until he hears Tommy open the door to the bedroom.

The teenager seems to let out a sigh of relief when he realises that there's no one there (Techno makes a mental note to convince Tommy that his house has rats to explain any strange noises at night), and the sound of the door shutting once more finalises their first night in the same house in  _ years. _

Even in Pogtopia, they never slept or stayed in the same room for longer than needed. Techno didn't sleep at all during the preparations for that war.

He doesn't risk going back down to work up the courage to comfort Tommy, but Techno continues to keep an ear out. Tommy doesn't cry after that, but his breathing is so very quiet, Techno gave himself at least four scares that night after he kept convincing himself Tommy wasn't breathing  _ at all.  _ It's a stark difference to his loud and annoying childhood snores that would shake the whole bloody house when they were kids.

But then again, that was almost an entire decade ago. People change. Techno hasn't seen Tommy sleep in years.

The Blood God lays awake for hours after that, staring up at the ceiling as the morning sun begins to bleed into the room; and he wonders,

When was the last time his brother slept at all?

* * *

The next morning, Tommy doesn't come out of the room at all.

Techno tries to coax him out, knocking every half hour and trying to convince him time and time again.

_ "Do you want to see the turtles?" _

_ "We could go to the village." _

_ "Percy needs a bath." _

_ "I can make you cake." _

He realises that eventually, Tommy needs to open the door and let him in to change the bandage around his leg —

Or, alternatively, Techno could just barge him and hold him down, and then force-feed him some left over chicken to prevent him from dying of starvation before Philza comes home, but he doesn't do that. Something about the way he can hear Tommy's heart rate pick up everytime he calls his name, or the heavy breathing that pairs with sniffling whenever Tommy thinks Techno can't hear him deters the Blood God from pushing too hard.

He can wait for Tommy to open the door. Techno owes him that, at the very least.

But before he knows it, the sun begins to set, and only then does Techno notice that neither of them have eaten anything all day.

He scrambles to heat up the leftover mushroom soup (he always makes them in bulk, for when Phil goes on his long protagonistic adventures), gently rocking Edwards boat with his foot as he stirs the pot above the fireplace. Behind him, Techno's brewing a diluted regeneration potion; which he plans to sneak into Tommy's melon juice.

For some reason, Techno doesn't trust Tommy enough to feed him anything too solid, but makes sure to grab a small loaf of bread and add it into the bowl when he takes the simple yet filling meal up to Tommy's room. The house is silent save for Techno's quiet footsteps on the staircase, the occasional crackle of fire or Edwards purr offering a gentle rhythm in the background. But upstairs the air is still and quiet, even Tommy's room is silent.

The voices have also been uncharacteristically quiet these last few hours, and Techno has a sneaky suspicion it's to do with the fact that they're all secretly plotting a way to ruin his life (as per usual). But Techno also wonders if perhaps, just maybe, Tommy's presence in his house reminds them of a simpler time, a calmer time — from when they were just kids living life. The voices were always quiet when Tommy was little. And as Tommy grew, so did the voices.

When Techno finally pulls himself together, he knocks once. Then again. And then a third time.

He hears the shuffling of bed covers on the other side, but Tommy doesn't reply. At least he's awake, Techno thinks disappointedly, not sure what else he was expecting from his interaction.

"I brought you some food," he says loud and clear, crouching in front of the door, "I'm going to leave it right here, okay? You don't have to let me in."

He stands up after placing the bowl and cup of regeneration juice in front of the door, watching as the steam from the soup floats up and disappears into the air, "I'm going to go to the village." Techno then announces on the spot, wondering if Tommy's even listening to him in there, "Do you need anything?"

Unsurprisingly, he receives no answer. But he can make out the softest, most hesitant little footsteps approaching the door.

Techno takes that as his queue to leave,

"I'll be back soon."

And then he walks away, grabbing a new cape from the cupboard under the stairs and tying it around his shoulders tightly.

He hopes the village children are awake to feed Percy fresh carrots.

* * *

When he returns the sky has darkened and the moon begins to peak over the tall snowy mountains —

And the loaf of bread is gone.

Tommy hasn't had much of the soup, but the bread and melon juice are definitely gone, not even a crumb or drop leftover.

Techno stands in front of Phil's door for a moment, ears and nose cold from the biting snow outside but chest and hands warm as he holds Tommy's leftover meal.

"Goodnight, Tommy." he whispers, and he hopes Tommy hears him.

He doesn't stick around to wait for a reply.

* * *

By a miraculous turn of events, Philza shows up at his door the next morning, looking like he's just crawled out of hell and fought a wild horse on the way here.

"Phew! Never thought there'd come a day when I'd have to break out of my  _ own  _ house. House arrest is definitely not for me," he chuckles like it's an old inside joke.

Techno blinks in morbid disbelief at the absolute disheveled state of his normally esteemed father. He secretly hopes Tommy decides to continue his little depression party and not come out to see... whatever it is Phil's going through. But then again, he can't imagine he looks any better — since Techno hasn't laid down or brushed his hair in at least three days.

Phil couldn't look like he cared less however, as he grins proudly at Techno, reaching out to ruffle his already atrocious hair like he's a child and not a sleep-deprived  _ anarchist,  _ "Techno! Glad you made it out of the execution alright! Quite a show mate,"

He then pulls Techno by his shoulders in a big hug, his wings folding over the two of them awkwardly as they squeeze into the narrow door frame — but Techno would be a fool to refuse a hug from  _ Philza  _ of all people. His winged hugs could solve wars if mortals would let him. While Phil is giggling into his shoulder and him hugging Techno isn't all that unheard of, it doesn't escape Techno's notice that Phil is holding him just a little tighter than usual, for a lot longer than normal.

Then he realises that perhaps, Phil was a lot more worried about Techno's execution than he first anticipated. So he lets the man hug him for as long as he needs to.

Patting his father back slowly, Techno can't help but let his confusion seep into the word, "Yeah… uh, are you okay? You have — you have leaves in your feathers."

Phil giggles once more, finally pulling away to look a little sheepish, "Ah, I might have flown into a few trees. I was rushing, just in case Tubbo came back to find me gone."

"Oh," Techno relaxes, "Well, I don't think they'll try and take you away again… or me, for that matter. Not unless they want to die."

Phil laughs loudly, patting Phil on the back as he does so and walks into the house. He shakes his feathers at the door, and Techno watches with a frown as little sticks and leaves fall to the ground onto his front porch. Phil only laughs louder at Techno's disgusted expression.

But Techno doesn't mind, not really. Especially if it means Phil's familiar laughter bounces off the walls and ripples through the floorboards once more. Even Edward purrs in excitement at Philza's infectious laughter; and after a long time, Techno's house feels like home again.

As if on queue however, a loud bang signals from directly above them, followed by an incoherent thunder of uneven footsteps beating against the ceiling. Phil looks at him in horrific surprise, before he catches a glimpse of Techno's calmer, albeit confused, expression, and then he laughs once more.

Techno raises a brow in surprise, "Looks like he's going to come outside the room now."

"Did you get another pet while I was away?" Phil asks affectionately, looking like Techno had just announced he adopted an orphanage of kittens, "Another cow maybe?"

Before Techno can open his mouth to disappoint Phil about the prospect of them harbouring not a cow, but a teenager; said child bombards down the stairs at alarmingly speed given they still have one injured foot.

Tommy nearly slips at the bottom step, but just about saves himself by gripping onto the railing and throwing his arms over it. He's a panting mess, still wearing the same obnoxious red shirt Techno found him in and out of breath. There's a thin layer of sweat on his forehead, and Techno can immediately tell that Tommy has developed a fever, which means his wound is infected, which then means that he's going to have to —

"He's fine," Phil breathes, somehow sensing Techno's growing paranoia. But when the Blood God looks away from the flushed blonde teen to his father, he realises that perhaps he wasn't talking to Techno at all. Instead, it seemed he was convincing himself that Tommy was okay, and  _ here _ , eyes wide and disbelieving, "He's okay."

Phil and Tommy stare at each other in incredulity for a long time; and Techno slowly moves back until his back is flat against the wall as he watches his family with analytical eyes. He wasn't there to see the first time Wilbur saw Phil in the button room, or when Tommy saw Phil after he blew up L'manberg; after all those years they spent apart — but he imagines that if he did, it would be something like this.

Tommy looks at Phil with unimaginable pain, eyes glossy; almost like he didn't expect to ever see Phil again. Techno frowns for a moment, wondering why Tommy would be worried about the safety of _Philza_ of all people — but then it clicks. Tommy didn't expect to see Phil, or even Techno because  _ he didn't expect to live to see them again. _

Techno imagines the nether and the lava for a moment, and so does Tommy it seems, since his lips curl and crystal eyes well up with unshed tears.

"Oh," Phil mumbles, absolutely heartbroken at the sight, "Oh boy, my boy,  _ Tommy.  _ Why are you so thin? Is Techno feeding you his wretched mushroom soup again?"

Techno momentarily pulls himself out of Tommy's expression of such pitiful sadness to look at Phil incredulously, "Wha —  _ wretched _ ? I thought you loved my soup!"

Phil giggles wetly, his own tears being held back, his messy and frayed feathers bounce with his shoulders, "Aw mate, of course I do! But you know how much Tommy hates your mushro—  _ oof! _ "

He's cut off and gets the air knocked out of him when Tommy runs straight into his chest as fast as his little injured legs would carry him. The two of them nearly go tumbling to the floor, but Phil catches them before they tip over. 

The contact is immediate, and the moment Phil seems to process who's exactly in his arms, his feathers ruffle up and engulf the two of them. Techno quickly side steps to avoid getting a mouthful of muddy feathers (Edward isn't as lucky, and Techno hears the enderman shriek in surprise when his little boat shakes as Phil's wings beat against it).

Techno can't even see Tommy under all the feathers. Just Phil; holding onto the last son he could ever hope to save. He thinks he can hear faint sniffling and whining, but it's drowned out by Phil's calm hums and whispers of comfort.

"You're safe now," Phil murmurs, "You're safe."

And Techno thinks that's okay for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you will have to pry sleepyboinc family dynamic from my cold, dead hands. anyways! i have a [twitter](https://twitter.com/orpheusaki?s=09) now! i'm planning to post snippets, theories and short stories on there soon! :)


	8. SHOW YOUR SCARs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night is cold but the two wrapped around the fire feel exceptionally warm in that moment. Techno never wants to leave this safe space of understanding and fantasy. Never wants to stop flying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trigger warnings for blood and panic attacks! not explicit but please be advised!

It's been a few days since Phil returned and somehow managed to pull the boy from the confines of his room, and until this morning, Tommy was glued to his fathers side like a baby duckling. Phil didn't complain in the slightest, rather, he was more than happy to walk around Techno's little cottage with the boy tucked safely under his large dark wings.

Techno has a feeling, for as devastating and mortifying as this vulnerable side of Tommy is, Phil is secretly enjoying finally treating one of his sons like  _ children.  _ He brushes Tommy's hair, cuts the corners of his bread, plays with his fingers and pats his back as he naps — all while a small reminiscent smile ghosts his lips. Perhaps the angel of death is reminded of simpler times; back before the death and the war infected their bloodline.

Techno watches, a mixture of fondness and sadness overtaking him, but doesn't mention anything. Phil deserves to heal through familial attention just as much as Tommy does.

They sleep in the same room as well, since Tommy was still injured and Phil didn't have the heart to take Techno's bed; so Phil slept on the floor beside Tommy. They speak more than they sleep, and Techno lays awake at night, comforted by their muffled mumbles through the floorboards.

He had decided quite early on that this wasn't a territory he was ready to try and invade, especially since Tommy still looked squirmish and uneasy whenever he and Techno found themselves in the same room without Phil to play the peacekeeper. There was an air of distrust and urgency, Techno hesitant to move closer and Tommy all the more eager to run away. If not for his injured foot, and the fact that Phil permanently lives with him now, Tommy would have definitely jumped out the window to escape.

So Techno let's the two of them bond and heal under his roof as he stays far away. He makes them dinner (no more mushroom soup, since apparently no one appreciates it for the lovely dish it is) and leaves it in a pot by the fire before retreating into his own bedroom, letting the two of them have dinner together. Their gentle mumbles and laughter is enough to give Techno peace of mind.

He didn't mind, really. In fact, he was glad.

Techno wasn't sure if he was even remotely ready to face the oncoming onslaught of  _ guilt  _ he would have to endure when he finally got round to asking Tommy what had happened to him during his exile. He knows that deep down, it's better to ask this first and decide what to do about Tommy and  _ Dream  _ after; before it's too late… but everytime Techno begins to work up the courage to ask —

He sees Tommy's happy smile, the corners of his eyes creased into little crescent moons as he listens to Phil talk about an adventure of ocean monuments and castles in the sky, most of which he's probably heard about many times before.

Techno, and the voices, immediately retreat at the domestic sight. They aren't going to destroy what little joy Tommy seems to feel now.  _ Especially  _ not when Philza's around. They deserve better than that.

Though, it seemed the universe had other plans; as before Techno could attempt to melt into his own floorboards to avoid confrontation, Phil announced that he was going back to L'manberg — because of course he is.

"What." Techno states in absolute shock when Phil tells him.

"All my weapons and loot are under my house," he had said with sorry eyes, looking between his two sons, who both gave startlingly similar faces of  _ pain _ , "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"But what if you get caught?" Tommy asks desperately before Techno could hint the same thing, looking at Phil with dark, pleading eyes.

_ Please don't leave me alone with Tommy,  _ he hopes he's conveying through sheer will alone,  _ please don't. _

Phil smiles, ruffling Tommy's hair and then giving Techno a small smile and a silent  _ look.  _ Techno, against all better judgement, understood it immediately.

Now that Tommy was with Techno, there was no need for Phil to hold back. If anyone in L'manberg were to try and hurt him, or if the so-called  _ butcher army  _ were to try and threaten his family again — well, Techno definitely wouldn't want to be on the other end of Philza's sword. He can handle himself. If anyone should be worried about Phil's return to L'manberg, it should be the pitiful government who tries to apprehend him again.

Tommy seems to have also understood the implication of Phil's look, as he sighs in defeat, knowing nothing he could say would convince the winged man to stay.

"Behave yourselves when I'm gone," Phil reminds them  _ again _ for the hundredth time as he's stood by the front door, Antarctic Empire cape tied tightly round his shoulders, with two large holes for his wings to fit through. "And try and get along, okay? We only have each other now."

_ We only have each other now.  _ Such a bittersweet reminder that once again, it's the sons of Angels against the world — only this time a remnant of Wilbur watches from wherever he ended up after he died.

Perhaps these parting words from Phil before he flew off, the early morning sun painting the sky pink and orange around his silhouette, is the reason Tommy let's himself stay around Techno more. He doesn't immediately retreat to his (And Phil's) bedroom, instead, sits down at the dinner table, the blanket like a shield from the rest of the world.

_ "I'll probably only be gone four or five days,"  _ he remembers Phil saying guiltily, though he doesn't look nearly as apologetic enough about leaving Techno to bond with his traumatised brother,  _ "There's also something else I need to do before I come back." _

Techno had frowned, raising an eyebrow in question as Tommy looked equally as troubled. Four or five days is closer to an entire  _ week  _ alone with Tommy.  _ "Ha? What is it?" _

Philza has given the two of them one of his infamous 'wait and you shall see' smiles,  _ "You'll see what it is when I come back." _

Techno sighs at the memory, watching out the corner of his eye as Tommy picks at a small mark in the dining table (probably the result of one of Techno's daggers), and inwardly groans.

_ This is going to be a long week. _

  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  


"Can you eat?"

Techno inches the steaming bowl of chicken soup towards the teenager, who's sat hunched over the dinner table, one of the bedroom blankets wrapped around his shoulders tightly. He hasn't moved since Phil left a couple hours ago, and Techno had finally worked up enough courage to approach him about dinner.

Tommy's thin — though, not as thin as he was when Techno first found him living in his basement and running through the snow like a lunatic — but his cheeks are still too sullen and his ears seem too large for his face. Some of the pink and gold colour in his cheeks have returned though, probably from the warmth and care from Phil.

Techno presses his lips into a straight line and tries again when he receives no answer, "Maybe just try a little bit? You haven't eaten since last night."

Tommy looks like he wants to refuse the food, but Techno takes a gamble and narrows his eyes at the stubborn blonde, testing the waters of discipline (and channeling his inner Philza); and to his surprise, Tommy rolls his eyes and sighs frustratedly — but takes the bowl from him. Some of the contents splash out the side, and Techno  _ almost  _ complains about it until Tommy digs into the food like a ravenous dog.

Techno watches silently as Tommy shovels spoonful after spoonful of chicken and carrots (Techno had managed to sneak a few in there), trying his best to not look  _ too  _ pleased when almost all of it is gone in the blink of an eye.

When he's finished, there's soup dripping down his chin as he challenges Techno with a hard look, "Happy now?"

"Well, given most of the soup is on your face and my table…" Techno mumbles, the corners of his mouth twitching as Tommy throws his hands up in exasperation.

"I've had it!" Tommy cries out dramatically and Techno stares at him unimpressed, "Why are you trying to fatten me up, huh? You going to cook me or something?"

"Do I remind you of the witch from Hansel and Gretel?" Techno asks, shaking his head as Tommy physically looks like he's racking through his little mind for any recollection of those names

"Greta and — who?" Tommy completely butchers the childhood story Techno's told him  _ at least  _ five times, "Oh forget it, whoever you are, I don't trust you."

He had definitely been bantering up until that point, letting a brief show of his usual snarky and boisterous attitude peak through the gaps, but then Tommy suddenly stiffens, his eyes blown wide as he stares harshly at the small dent in the table. Techno startles at the abrupt change, and he reaches out tentatively — only to immediately recoil when Tommy speaks up again,

"I can never trust you," he whispers, though it's loud and clear in Techno's ears. It's  _ deafening.  _ "I can't trust anyone."

Techno hopes he doesn't show how much these words actually affect him, as he turns on his heel quickly and makes a beeline for the sink, deciding to clean his tea cup for the third time that morning. He doesn't know why it upsets him this much, since it's completely understandable.

Techno had taken everything from Tommy; his home, his friend; his brother. A small part of  _ responsibility _ continues to eat away at his soul and remind Techno that, maybe, if he had slowed down, or maybe if he had taken a step back, then he could have seen how much of a broken man Wilbur had become. Though Phil was the one to finally put him down, Techno feels as though he played a part in driving Wilbur into insanity.

It makes sense that Tommy didn't trust him; he  _ knows  _ Tommy doesn't trust him.

But perhaps a selfish part of Techno was too hopeful of the past, too optimistic in thinking his younger brother who he had raised and sparred with would return upon living with him again.

"Techno?"

It was foolish, especially when Techno barely knew what  _ Dream  _ had been doing behind his snarky comments and sinister insinuations. The man was eager to ruin what little moral Tommy had left, and it seemed by all means necessary.

"Oi! Techno!"

Techno grits his teeth, blood rushing to his head as an inexplicable amount of anger just courses through his entire body. It seemed  _ everything _ tied back to Dream and his relentless obsession with his family. While Techno takes responsibility for the fall of Wilbur, he  _ knows  _ that Dream played a part in it as well, and he had  _ seen  _ the satisfaction it brought the God of Chaos whenever he crumbled Tommy just a little bit more.

And it was only a matter of time before he would try and hurt Phil by —

"Technoblade!"

Tommy's cry of his name breaks him out of his thoughts the same exact moment the cup in his grasp shatters under pressure. He hadn’t noticed, but while deep in thought he had held onto the ceramic cup and just  _ squeezed. _ Little shards clatter to the ground in a great crash, and Techno barely reacts as his palm begins to slowly bleed.

Dark brown and red blood drips to the floor, and Techno only watches.

He hears the scrape of a chair against his floor that makes him cringe, but not enough to move. Blood falls in two large streaks and Techno wonders if it might leave a stain if he doesn't —

"Oh you fucking bastard!" Tommy suddenly shouts into his face, grabbing Techno by the shoulder and pulling him down. He grabs his hand, his blood smudging onto Tommy's hands, but the boy doesn't let go. Instead; he's holding down on the fine cuts, eyebrows furrowed in concern.

Techno's throat feels dry as he watches in confusion, head spinning but head empty of any comprehensible thoughts above the enraged shrieks of the voices, "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing, you idiot. Trying to make sure you don't die of blood loss or something," he grumbles, fingers digging into his palm in an attempt to put pressure on the small wound.

Techno gulps, "I don't think that's helping."

"Fuck you." Tommy mutters, but he doesn't pull away. Instead, he pushes down harder, biting his lip as he stares angrily into Techno's bloody palm.

Techno will never understand Tommy.

After everything,  _ after everything  _ Tommy still has compassion left to care for others.  _ After all he's lost  _ he still worries and cries and lives everyday, carrying the weight of a million worries on his shoulders.  _ After everything Dream — _

Techno feels the corner of his eyes sting, and he must let out some sort of distressed noise as before he can pinch his eyes closed, Tommy's staring up at him in concern. His brows furrowed and blue eyes blown wide.

And then, just to make things worse, he purses his chapped lips together. "Sorry," he whispers, softening his grasp on Techno's hands.

_ Oh my god. _

"Stop apologising," Techno mumbles tiredly, exhaustion rippling off of him like waves. He's so tired of all the  _ fighting.  _ "Please stop."

Tommy looks confused, but before he can say something, Techno pulls his hand away, holding it close to his chest as he stares at Tommy with hard eyes. His pupils are burning with unshed tears of  _ frustration. _

Techno can't remember the last time he cried.

"What did he do to you Tommy?" Techno asks in a voice that's barely above a whisper.

Tommy instantly understands, as all of the colour immediately drains from his face, patting him a horrible pale. Even his eyes dull, the blue that had been coming back dissipating into a morbid grey.

"He — I —"

Techno wants to reach out, but his hands are painted in blood and he's not sure he's capable of touching someone without hurting them anymore. Especially not now. The blood lust bubbles like acid under his skin, and his fingers are numb but all he can see and hear is  _ Tommy.  _ The voices are screaming.

Tommy flounders like a fish out of water, stepping back in fright only to knock against the kitchen counter. Techno had backed him into a corner.

But Techno doesn't notice — doesn't realise that his overbearing figure boxing him in and that his deep blood eyes remind Tommy of a similar painted smile, that sends the teenagers mind into a panic. He doesn't realise that the way his blood covered hands and shattered cup on the floor remind him of explosions and pain and falling off tall towers and —

Techno doesn't realise how far he pushes Tommy until the boy  _ screams. _

"No! Please! Stop! Get away — get away from me!" Tommy cries, covering his ears with his hands, the fingers smudged with Techno's blood. "I'm sorry please — please don't —"

Techno gapes, mind going radio silent as his internal screaming is replaced with his brothers cries of anguish.

"I'm sorry!" Tommy shouts again and again, slowly lowering himself onto the floor, the shards of glass dangerously close to his feet. "I didn't mean it!"

Techno drops himself onto the ground first, knees knocking painfully onto the floor as he collects the pieces of glass with his bloody hands before Tommy can hurt himself. His mind is devoid of any thoughts and words escape him as he watches in mortified horror at the trembling boy who cowers before him.

"...Tommy," he whispers, not reaching any closer. Techno pushes the glass away from them, not even wincing when it cuts deeper into his skin. "Tommy I'm —"

"Don't," Tommy gasps, looking up to lock eyes with Techno. His pupils shake with fear, "Don't say anything. I'm fine — I just —"

"You're not fine. You're not fine Tommy," Techno wants to cry, he wants to cry so bad.

So he does.

Tommy freezes as he watches two large streams of dark brown and red liquid fall from Techno's eyes.

"And that's okay, Tommy," Techno gasps through tears he hasn't shed in  _ years.  _ The gross metallic smell of blood fills his senses and Tommy looks absolutely appalled but Techno can't bring himself to wipe them away, "You're not fine and that's okay Tommy. Just please…"

Tommy hesitantly reaches forward, there's snot and tears rolling down his face as he moves towards Techno but he doesn't wipe them away either.

"Please let us help you." Techno gasps the exact moment Tommy's shaking fingers touch his face, gently wiping away the blood that pools down to his chin.

Tommy doesn't answer, and Techno isn't sure if it's because he's trembling out of his skin or if it's because there's genuinely nothing Tommy could say to that; but he thinks he sees Tommy nod. Wiping Techno's tears with the heel of his palm, Tommy nods comfortingly, and that only makes Techno want to cry more.

_ This kid,  _ he thinks bitterly,  _ the whole world could be against you and you'd still find time to treat it with kindness. _

They sit there for awhile, blood and tears and the stench of pain weaving through the air as a bitter reminder — but Techno feels lighter. Something tells him that though nothing much has changed in the long run, something  _ has _ shifted.

And a few hours later, when Tommy shakily gets up to wash his hands, Techno catches the way Tommy wipes his tears from his hands gently. He stands there for a few moments, staring absently at the blood with a look Techno doesn't understand immediately — but comes to realise is  _ relief. _

Tommy lets out a huge sigh as he finally cleans himself of the remnants of disparity, one he hadn't realised he had been harboring for weeks. The trauma is not gone, the pain and suffering is still there but maybe, _just maybe,_

_He isn't so alone anymore._

The colour returns to his cheeks after that.

  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
  


"Tell me a story," Tommy says a few hours later, laying down in front of the fire, Techno's cape under his head and the blanket firmly placed around his trembling form. He hasn't stopped shaking, and though it's decreased greatly, the teenager continues to chatter like he's been left out in the cold for hours.

There's a half drunk cup of tea in front of him, it's steam flying up into the room and disappearing into the calm air.

Techno watches from his seat a few steps away, his own cup of tea warming his palms through the new bandages he had tied around them after Tommy insisted he clean himself up.

"A story?" Techno hums, afraid to say anything too loud in case he were to disrupt the warm cloud that had befallen the tundra, "About what?"

Tommy's quiet for a moment, and Techno feels himself slowly begin to melt into the silence before his brother speaks up again, "Something like the story about Theseus."

Techno instantly jumps at the name, heart racing a mile out of his chest at the way it easily leaves Tommy's mouth. His throat feels dry.

"Are —" he gulps, "Are you sure? Those stories are normally… quite morbid."

"Yeah," Tommy sighs tiredly, "I liked that one."

"You did?"

Tommy hums in confirmation, rolling onto his side so he's facing Techno.

His eyes are blistered and puffy from the hours of crying he had been doing, cheeks flushed in what Techno hopes is warmth from the fire and not the effect of his breakdown. He looks positively exhausted, eyelids drooping ever so slightly before he opens them again.

Techno frowns, though he's not sure he could ever say no to Tommy ever again, "Okay. But I'm going to summarise it, since they can also be kinda long."

"Whatever you say," Tommy yawns, pulling the blanket around his shoulders even further.

Techno watches him for a moment, racing through his mind for a story fit for Tommy as the voices continue to throw unhelpful suggestions at him.

_ Three little pigs! _

_ Pandora's box! _

_ The odyssey! _

_ How to sex 3! _

_ The story of Icarus. _

"Oh," Techno states, feeling emotional all over again, "Yeah, that'll do."

Tommy groans, "You hafta stop talking to yourself man… it's getting kinda creepy."

"Shut up," Techno retorts with no malice, pretending to look offended when Tommy snorts, "Let me tell you a story about a kid named Icarus. Remember the story about the maze and the minotaur?"

Tommy frowns, and for a moment Techno fears he'd have to explain  _ two  _ stories just to get to the message of one. But, by his luck and Tommy's scarily accurate memory, the teenager hums in recollection, looking excited,

"Theseus's story?" He asks, and Techno nods encouragingly.

"The one about the string and the flags." He explains, eyes softening, "You told me that one when we were kids. It took me a while to realise that  _ that _ Theseus was the same Theseus who was exiled by the people."

Techno winces at the way his own words have come to haunt him once more. Comparing Tommy to Theseus back during the Pogtopia War seemed too much of an easy option to ignore, the parallels were just so  _ perfect.  _ If only he could have known that a few weeks down the line, and see that the story of Theseus and his betrayal would take the form of his younger brother — destroying what little of a child was left after the War.

_ ("You wanna be a hero, Tommy? Then die like one!") _

"Well," Techno continues shakily, ignoring the pounding at the base of his skull, "The man who made the maze that trapped the minotaur was actually Icarus's dad, Daedalus."

Tommy whistles, "Ooh. And the stories intertwine. Let me guess, Icarus is in love with the Minotaur? What a furry."

Techno rolls his eyes and continues, opting to ignore Tommy's childish comments, "Well, the man who commissioned Daedalus, Minos, wanted to make sure that absolutely no one could leak the secrets of the maze. So, to ensure no one knew how to get in or out, he banished Daedalus and his son to an island in the middle of nowhere, with nothing and no one to help them get back."

It's treading on cracked ice, telling Tommy this story. Just like with Theseus; the story of Icarus seems too perfect of an opportunity to not compare Tommy to.

And with sceptical eyes, Techno sees the exact moment the similarities of the story dawn to Tommy, as his eyes widen.

"Oh," he sighs in understanding, but doesn't offer anything more.

Swallowing thickly, Techno continues with a heavy heart and heavier conscience.

"On the island, Daedalus is rightfully upset and quickly starts to plan a way for him and Icarus to escape safely. Unfortunately, there weren't many resources on this island, so they couldn't make a boat or a raft. But there was one specific object that there were copious amounts of, more than enough to make something to help them escape."

Tommy looks transfixed as he asks, "What was it?"

"Feathers." Techno replies in a whisper, "He was going to make them wings."

"So they could fly?"

The Blood God nods, taking a sip of his tea before placing the empty cup on the table beside him, threading his fingers together, "Using wax and the feathers from the birds on the island, Daedalus made wings for both himself and Icarus, and after jumping off one of the highest cliffs on the island, they flew out into the sea."

"They jumped, huh?" Tommy mumbles under his breath, but it's too quiet for Techno to hear. He clears his throat, speaking up and looking at Techno with watery eyes, "Then what happened?"

Techno purses his lips into a straight line, "They… they flew. No one had ever done it quite like them before. And Icarus, who was only a teenager, was more than happy to soar through the clouds. He wanted to touch the sky, he did."

Tommy smiles at that.

"Daedalus was sceptical of course, and knew the dangers of their wings," Techno continues a little hesitantly, watching the way Tommy's smile begins to droop into a frown, "He told Icarus not to fly too close to the sun, because then the wax that held the feathers together would melt."

Tommy gasps.

"Icarus didn't listen."

"Did he…"

Techno sighs, "You have to remember, Icarus was a free spirit. He was a kid so full of life and adventure, and now that he could fly, come close to touching the God of the sun Apollo himself — why wouldn't he? So he didn't listen, he flew higher and higher and just as his fingertips grazed the burning tangents of the sun — the wax of his feathers melted away. He plummeted down, straight into the ocean."

Tommy doesn't say anything, just lays there in silence as the fire behind him illuminates his small form. Techno can't quite make out his brother's expression, but he goes forth with the story; Icarus deserves his story to be told respectfully.

"Daedalus pulls his son's body out of the ocean and back to the island, mourning his negligence and his son's greediness." Techno says quietly, "But people say Icarus died with a smile on his face, for he had come closer to the gods than anyone had ever dared before him. He had flown."

"The end?" Tommy finally asks, sounding exasperated.

Techno nods, "The end."

Tommy frowns, head pressed against the cool floorboards as the fire roars protectively in front of him. His eyes are glassy with sleep, and the more Techno looks, the more clearly he can see the way the fire reflects into his crystal irises.

"Why do all your stories have sad endings?" He asks, immediately yawning afterwards.

Techno can't help but smile, skin under his eyes stinging, appreciating how safe and relaxed Tommy looks as he fights off sleep, "I guess it's because it's supposed to teach you a lesson. About greed and selfishness."

Tommy's eyelids begin to flutter, his words mixing into one another in hushed tones, "Icarus wasn't… greedy. He was just a kid. I'm… sad he died."

_ He was just a kid. _

Techno feels an overwhelming urge to cry once more, but stops himself when he sees the gentle smile that Tommy drifts away with.

"You might be sad, and I assume Daedalus was too — but I don't think Icarus was sad when he died," Techno says softly.

Tommy's eyes are closed as he replies with a confused sounding  _ humph? _

The night is cold but the two wrapped around the fire feel exceptionally warm in that moment. Techno never wants to leave this safe space of understanding and fantasy. Never wants to stop _flying_.

"Don't forget Tommy," Techno whispers, but Tommy is already asleep, "Don't forget that Icarus flew. How could you die sad when you've touched the sky?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is my coping mechanism for tommys recent stream <3 spoiler! but dream is about to get his ass absolutely beat in the next chapter. or will he? well :)

**Author's Note:**

> please let me know what you think ! thank you for reading <3


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